


(Science) Bros before (HYDRA) Hoes

by Kizmet



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bruce & Hulk Interaction, Bruce Banner & Tony Stark Friendship, Bruce Banner Has Issues, Bruce Banner Needs a Hug, Dissociative Identity Disorder, Dysfunctional Team Dynamics, Flying Monkey!Clint, Gen, Hulk Hugs (Marvel), Johannesburg happened!, Not Steve Rogers Friendly, Post-Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie), Team Dynamics, Wicked Witch!Wanda, not wanda maximoff friendly, villain wanda maximoff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-10
Updated: 2019-06-03
Packaged: 2020-01-11 00:28:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 32,328
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18419057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kizmet/pseuds/Kizmet
Summary: The Hulk isn’t taken from the planet after AoU, there’s no one conveniently out of reach to take the fall for Johannesburg… A choice is going to have to be made:  Wanda or the Hulk.  The Avengers Civil War won’t wait for UN to write the Sokovia Accords or Zemo to set his plan in motions.  As Bruce said, the Avengers always were a chemical mixture that makes chaos.  The detonator on the time bomb is counting down.





	1. After everything;  Would he want to see you?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mykkila09](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mykkila09/gifts).



> mykkila09: I'm not exactly sticking to the text of your prompt but hopefully I'm catching the spirit.

The New Avengers, Captain America, the Black Widow, Falcon and the Scarlet Witch, looked skyward at the distinctive sound of Iron Man’s thrusters. A moment later Tony made a three point landing on the beach between the two Quinjets.

“Tony, what brings you out here?” Natasha called.

“A little birdie told me you had a lead on Bruce. I see the rumor was true,” Tony gestured to the slightly battered Quinjet. “Why didn’t you call me?”

“You stepped down from the Avengers,” Steve pointed out.

Tony shook his head, “This isn’t the Avengers, this is my friend. Two of my friends in fact.”

“Do you really think Bruce, or Hulk, really wants to see you right now Tony?” Natasha asked gently. “

“He probably ran off because you made him help you create a murderbot,” Wanda muttered. 

“I did what, now?” Tony asked nonplussed. “You whammy Hulk into going berserk on a civilian population...” 

Wanda looked to Steve with watering eyes.

“...Nat here shoves him off a cliff. But he ran because I talked to him?”

Natasha’s face lost all expression, “Well if you judge by the kill count…” she shot back. 

Steve frowned at Tony, “Stark, that was completely uncalled for. If Natasha hadn’t done what she did more people would have died.” He turned to Natasha, “I’m sure Bruce knows that in his heart and would thank you for making the choice he was too afraid to make for himself.”

“Right, he was afraid to go green because Little Miss Head-Trip screwed with his mind, made Bruce, Hulk, into his own worst nightmare,” Tony growled. “She did Ultron’s bidding. She deliberately, maliciously, targeted him. Went into his mind and screwed with him. The world’s baying for Bruce’s blood but Johannesburg is on her head! Maybe Bruce wouldn’t feel like he needed to hide if someone came forward and told them the-”

“You’re a murder!” Wanda screamed. “You kill my parents!” Her eyes teared up tragically. “We were ten years old, having dinner, the four of us. When the first shell hits, two floors below, it makes a hole in the floor. It's big. Our parents go in, and the whole building starts coming apart. My brother, he grab me, roll under the bed and the second shell hits. But, it doesn't go off. It just...sits there in the rubble, three feet from our faces. And on the side of the shell is painted one word… Stark… We were trapped two days. Every effort to save us, every shift in the bricks, I think, ‘This will set it off.’ We wait for two days for you to kill us! But no, you wait years to kill my brother! Now you go after me too?”

“Honey, you are fucking crazy,” Tony said. “What the hell does any of that have to do with you driving Hulk to tear apart a city in South Africa? You hate me, fine. But you dragged my friends into it. You dragged innocent bystanders into it. Then you stand there, acting the tragic victim of MY collateral damage as an excuse to avoid owning your own?”

“Enough,” Steve barked as Wanda started to cry. “Wanda’s just a kid, a good kid. She was manipulated into making some mistakes but it’s not her fault. And we’re all she has. We’re going to stand behind her.”

“You and Bruce were the only ones seen in Johannesburg,” Natasha murmured quietly as she walked past Tony to the Quinjet. “If you try to tell them about Wanda it’ll just look like you’re trying to shift the blame. And after Ultron...”

“Only because none of you will say a damn thing in Bruce’s defense,” Tony replied equally softly. “And you claimed to love him. No wonder he ran.”

“If Bruce was here he’s long gone now,” Natasha called to the others. “Let’s go.”

Sam escorted Wanda onto the quinjet, an arm around her shoulders, keeping himself between her and Tony. 

Steve waited until the others were on the quinjet then grabbed Tony’s arm. Steve couldn’t quite manage to loom over the Iron Man armor but his harsh grip would leave shallow dents in the armor for Tony to find later. “Bullying a kid like her, Stark? And I thought you couldn’t sink any lower. Hasn’t Wanda already suffered enough because of you?”

Tony stood and watched the Quinjet take off. Once the roar of the engines faded he turned toward the more battered jet left abandoned on the beach. “Are they right or did you leave something for me Brucey-bear?” Tony said to himself as he started the computer. In minutes he was thoroughly absorbed in the logs, searching for anything that might provide a clue as to where Bruce had gone from there. Searching for proof that Bruce wanted to be found, by him. 

The creak of the gangplank didn’t penetrate his consciousness. Tony didn’t look up as a shadow fell over the screen. It was only when a massive, green hand settled on his shoulder that he looked up. “How’d they miss you?” Tony asked.

“HULK NO _WANT_ BE FOUND,” the behemoth replied with a smirk. 

“So I’ve got this tower,” Tony began. “Needs a little renovation, the last party got a little wild. But there are a bunch of empty rooms and…” He grimaced. “I don’t expect many visitors. I’m persona non grata with the team. Pepper wanted some space and I told Happy to look after her. I asked Rhodey to fill-in with the Avengers- Vision has literally no experience and Falcon just doesn’t pack the punch to replace both Thor and I in the air-support department. So if you’re looking for a little peace and quiet… I mean, I can’t beat this place in the whole removed from the rat-race department but on the other hand: Indoor plumbing.”

Hulk chuckled and gave Tony’s shoulder a pat.


	2. The Tower

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hulk names: Tinman - Tony, Red - Natasha, Birdie - Clint, Sparks - Thor, Witch - Wanda, Captain - Steve

Hulk woke up and glanced toward the open door then stretched, luxuriating in the oversized bed and mattress reinforced to properly support his bulk. He scratched at himself then stood up and meandered out into the hall. “WHERE TINMAN?” he asked.

The voice in the ceiling remained silent. 

Hulk frowned and poked the oversized elevator call button on the cargo elevator directly across the hall from his room. Inside the elevator had two sets of controls: a human sized set of buttons and a second panel with just three buttons: Hulk Room, Common Room and Exit. 

_“Come on Brucey-Bear,” Tinman whined in the sing-song tone of ten-year-old trying to get on his parents’ last nerve. “Let’s see if the Other Guy likes it.” He’d been pushing for a while and Hulk had taken notice, watching from behind Puny-Banner’s eyes. He was curious but unwilling to force the issue just because Tinman asked. Besides he could feel Puny-Banner’s resistance wearing down._

_“Tony, I don’t think this is a good idea,” Puny-Banner sighed._

_“Stark, stop being a pest,” Red said._

_“I wanna see,” Birdie interjected._

_“One overgrown child on the team is more than enough, Clint,” Red scolded._

_“So you’re saying you want to find out if the room’s up to par in the middle of an emergency?” Tinman asked innocently._

_“I hate to say it but Stark has a point,” the Captain sighed. “We should know if this room of his can contain the Hulk before we have an incident.”_

_“Captain Spangles has spoken,” Tinman intoned. “Now you have to do it!”_

_“Not so fast,” the Captain declares. “First we’ll call Dr. Foster’s and get Thor on site, in case something goes wrong.”_

_“Nothing’s going to go wrong, it’s my design,” Tinman said sulkily._

_Hulk snickered to himself. Just for that he was going to smash Tinman’s room. ‘Hulk strongest, no one holds Hulk.’_

_Several days later, with Sparks in tow, the whole team tromped down to the new ‘Hulk Room’ Tinman had created as a safety for the situation of the Hulk living in New York. “What’s that?” Birdie asked pointing to the oversized, simplified control panel._

_“Well, normally Hulk could just ask J.A.R.V.I.S. to take him where he wanted to go, like everyone else. But just in case J. gets cut off somehow I threw in an old fashion, manual control panel in all the elevators,” Tinman explained. “I mean, I really don’t see the need, if things are bad enough that J. can’t handle an elevator then seriously you should not be in the elevator- Take the stairs, hell, jump out the window, the end of days are upon us.” Then he sighed, “But it made everyone more comfortable if there were manual controls on the elevators so Pepper said install them.”_

_Birdie pointed to the oversized panel, “Still doesn’t explain that.”_

_Tinman shrugged, “If everyone else gets them why not the Other Guy?”_

_“Um- Because the whole purpose of the Hulk Room is to contain me until I’m me again?” Puny-Banner pointed out._

_“I figured the Hulk might want a safe place to get away to,” Tinman replied. “Somewhere he can rage and not worry about what gets broken. I don’t build cages for my friends.”_

_Hulk considered maybe not smashing the room after all._

_“Look, if the Other Guy is thinking straight enough to work an elevator I don’t think we’ve got anything to worry about,” Tinman continued blithely._

_“At least tell me you put a door on the room that the Hulk can’t operate,” Puny-Banner begged._

_“Stark!” the Captain growled when the silence stretched out._

_“Yeah, yeah, there’s a door,” Tinman huffed. Hulk wondered if the Captain would think to ask if it locked or if the lock could be overridden._

Hulk poked “Common Room”. A few seconds later the elevator opened on the devastation left behind by the Avengers’ first confrontation with Ultron. While Hulk had been gone someone had replaced the exterior windows but that was as far as the restoration effort had gone. Hulk stuck his head in the kitchen then huffed in irritation when he found it empty. He reached up and rapped on the ceiling, restraining his strength to the ‘knock’ level rather than the ‘punch a hole through’ and shouted, “TINMAN! HULK HERE!”

“Right, I’m being a lousy host,” Tinman’s voice replied from the intercomm a moment later. “Give me a couple minutes to get decent.”

“HULK WAIT,” he shouted back.

As promised just a few minutes later Hulk heard the elevator doors open and the stink of fear made his nose wrinkle. Tinman’s hair was sleep mussed and his clothes were wrinkled as if he’d pulled on whatever he’d found lying on the floor. Hulk remembered Johannesburg, the red clearing from his vision and people staring at him in terror, Tinman’s bright armor battered and dented from trying to stop him from hurting them. “TINMAN SCARED. HULK GO.”

“What? No!” The fear-scent spiked even though Tinman’s expression remained set in a self-depreciating half-smile. “This is your home! Of course you’re welcome here, you’re always welcome here… Even if it’s sort of a mess right now and...” 

Hulk tilted his head to the side. Slowly, cautiously, he reached out. Tinman never flinched as Hulk’s hand came to rest on his shoulder and back but Hulk knew Tinman lied with his body as often as not, more tellingly the fear scent eased. “HULK STAY.”

“Great, good. Sorry about the mess.” Tinman’s eyes scanned up and down the behemoth. “If you’re planning on sticking around pants are going to need to be a thing. J.A.R.-” he cut off abruptly, a wounded expression flitting across his face. “I’ve got to get FRIDAY installed in the tower. Gotta get this mess cleaned up, call someone. -Um- Pepper probably has my tailor’s number. I don’t think even ‘Big and Tall’ is ready to deal with the reality of you. Do you want breakfast? Or lunch? Is it lunch? I’m not generally a breakfast person you know. Do you cook? I can try. Pepper didn’t appreciate the omelet but in my defense I was trying to cook in the galley of a jet, it wasn’t really set up to do more than reheat meals picked up at the last stop.” 

Hulk docilely followed Tinman into the kitchen. “Oh, look someone was having a private party in here,” Tinman remarked pointing to a stash of empty bottles and a few couch cushions on the floor behind the island. “Wonder who and if they would have minded me joining in. More fun than the party probably. The fight stayed in the other room. I doubt anyone’s stocked the fridge since then, I mean one look at the main room and the grocery guy says ‘I’m not paid for this shit’. I’ll have to pay him more.” Tinman opened the refrigerator door and looked inside. “I don’t think it’s been long enough for anything to go bad. How long do Chinese leftovers last? Normally that’s not a question I have to answer, nothing lasts long with this crew living-” He broke off abruptly again as the wounded look filled his eyes again.

Hulk held out his hand. Tinman handed over the leftovers. Hulk sniffed them then turned and dropped them in the trash. 

Tinman took out a bottle of milk, shook it then chucked after the leftovers. “Even I know curdled milk’s a no-go. Not trying eggs again. So you want Pop Tarts or frozen pizza? Shit, this is like a college kid’s kitchen isn’t it? Well, bigger, Rhodey wouldn’t let me pay more than half the rent, no matter what I said, so… It was, strangely, nice... But not roomy.” 

“BOTH,” Hulk suggested. “HULK HUNGRY.”

“You got it big guy.” Tinman turned on the oven and started coffee brewing. While they waited for the oven to come up to temperature they munched on pop tarts straight out of the box. 

“So, not that I don’t love your company, Green Bean…” Tinman began then trailed off. “Is everything okay?” he hinted awkwardly.

“RED NOT WANT BANNER,” Hulk replied with a shrug. 

Tinman sighed deeply. “You went to sleep and woke up still you because Bruce feels rejected? Betrayed?”

“USELESS,” Hulk added.

“Fuck,” Tinman sighed. “She didn’t mean it like that you know?”

“DON’T CARE. BANNER STUPID.” 

After a few minutes Tinman went back to babbling randomly, veering to new subjects whenever his stream of consciousness touched on something painful. Hulk decided he liked sitting on the floor in the kitchen eating Pop Tarts while his friend talked. He didn’t like the invisible tangle of thorns surrounding Tinman and injuring him with every movement.

Tinman stuck their plates in the dishwasher then rinsed the pizza grease off his hands. “I don’t know if the TV’s in one peice or not, but there’s a remote for you; big buttons, reinforced casing; hidden under the sectional. You’ll have to entertain yourself, I’ve got a inquest on Ultron to attend. I don’t expect anyone else from the team to actually bother to show- Thank God. And isn’t that a kick in the pants? Without my ‘team’ around I might actually be allowed to explain what I did, why I did it and what I was trying to do, without getting shut up- Why am I bothering, You don’t care about that either right? _‘You did something right. And you did it right here.’_ -Guilty! Case closed!”

Hulk put a hand over Tinman’s mouth. Through the filter of Banner’s eyes he remembered Sparks lifting Tinman by his neck and knowing in his head that what was happening was so wrong but frozen because that’s what happened when you back-talked. He huffed a huge sigh, words were Banner’s, not his but Banner wouldn’t, couldn’t explain this… Even if Banner wasn’t busy ignoring the world. “AVENGERS FAMILY,” Hulk said. “BANNER THINK… FIGHT FAMILY... MAKES WORSE. HURT WORSE... JUST TAKE IT.” He took away his hand and shrugged. “BANNER STUPID.”

Tinman took a few moments to parse out Hulk’s meaning. “It was a Brian Banner thing and you don’t feel the same because you were basically born out of Bruce’s repressed rage issues left from having to just bite the inside of his cheek and say nothing because making his father mad could have literally gotten him killed?”

“HULK FIGHTS.”

“You don’t think I’m- it’s terrible if I defend myself?” Tinman asked, strangely hesitant.

“TINMAN SAY WHAT TINMAN DID. NOT BAD,” Hulk shrugged again. “CAPTAIN NO LISTEN, CAPTAIN KNOW NOTHING.” Hulk smiled viciously, “HULK SMASH SPARKS. NO GRABBING TINMAN, BAD SPARKS.”

Tinman chuckled, he smelled less tense. Hulk was pleased with himself.


	3. Maybe for the Best

At the Compound Natasha walked past darkened lab space. There’d been a- A misunderstanding with Helen Cho thinking Wanda should be wearing a power-suppression collar any time she wasn’t on an Avengers mission. Natasha touched the light scar around her wrist from years of sleeping handcuffed to her bed so her handlers didn’t have to worry about what she might do when they weren’t watching. Memories of the Red Room had been particularly pressing lately.

Steve had scolded Cho about her prejudices and explained how Wanda was just misguided. That she deserved a second chance after how HYDRA and Ultron had manipulated her. But Cho hadn’t understood, she’d packed up her lab and her assistants and headed back to Seoul. Quite a few of the other science-types had disappeared in the weeks following Cho’s departure, leaving the spacious, futuristic labs Tony had included in the Compound just so much wasted space.

Natasha found Steve working out in the gym as she’d expected. For several minutes she stood in the doorway and watched until he noticed her. “Nat, is something up?” he asked as he reached out to still the bag he’d been punching.

“I’ve been thinking about what Tony said,” she said.

Steve shook his head. “I can’t believe Tony; lashing out at you and Wanda like that. Just because I didn’t include him on a mission after _he_ quit the team. You shouldn’t let him get to you, Nat. You did the right thing. If we hadn’t had the Hulk’s help even more people would have died, maybe the whole world. He was just… Sometimes, most of the time really, I think Tony just has no idea what is and is not acceptable to say.”

“Not that… Although Bruce having to be forced into a Code: Green does play a part in what I’m thinking,” Natasha said. She took a deep breath, “Back there, with Tony being an asshole...Well, I responded in kind but he had a point about Johannesburg.”

“Wanda’s just a kid,” Steve protested immediately. “She and Pietro made a mistake and she lost everything, the only family she had left, trying to make it right. We can’t turn her over to the government. You saw how Cho reacted and she’d worked with us before.”

“You’re right. I was caught off guard by Cho’s reaction to Wanda being Enhanced,” Natasha admitted. “Did you know she has a crush on Thor? And she seemed fine with Vision. It just didn’t make sense for her to be so prejudiced when it came to Wanda.”

“I thought her problem was because of what Ultron did to her group at U-Gin,” Steve said. “But I don’t understand it if she’s okay with Vision. Afterall, he comes from the Mind Stone and one of Tony’s crazy programs just like Ultron did. I’m a still little uncertain about Vision myself, even after his display with Thor’s hammer. But if Cho’s alright with _him_ then I don’t know _what_ to think of that nonsense about putting a collar on Wanda.”

“Wanda certainly doesn’t have an issue with Vision,” Natasha smirked. “They’re going on a date tonight, a concert I think.”

“I know,” Steve said frowning. “I told her to be back by one at the lastest.”

“Steve, Wanda’s twenty-two, you can’t give her a curfew,” Natasha tsked.

“I know times have changed but a girl her age can still get a reputation being out at all hours,” Steve argued. “Even if she isn’t doing anything.”

“She’s twenty-two,” Natasha reiterated. “If she wants to be doing 'something'," She made finger quotes in the air.  "Then, that’s her business.”

Steve bit back his first response and asked, “But Vision? Is that even possible?” instead.

“Well if anyone would be behind the creation of an anatomically complete robot it would be Tony Stark,” Natasha said. She shrugged, “And even if Vision’s not I’m sure Wanda could figure out a way to get a little satisfaction… If that’s what she wants.”

“Maybe you’re right about it being none of my business,” Steve acknowledged looking faintly disgusted. “As long as it’s what Wanda wants.”

“And that’s the crux of the matter with Bruce as well,” Natasha said. “What does Bruce want? I’m worried about him but- Given everything -Maybe it’s better that we don’t find him. Bruce doesn’t want to be Hulk or an Avenger right now, which will make it hard for him to redeem himself in the public eye. He chose to leave. He hasn’t contacted us…” Natasha pursed her lips, _‘I would have run away with him if he’d asked again after the battle. But he didn’t ask.’_

“Maybe we should… Just stop looking,” she sighed.

“The Avengers don’t abandon one of their own,” Steve said sternly.

“What can we do for him?” Natasha demanded. “Drag him into the spotlight, force him to go through a trial because he lost control of the Hulk and Tony’s back-up plan wasn’t good enough?” She took a deep breath, “Bruce knows how to drop off the grid. We played it like S.H.I.E.L.D. had no trouble tracking him after Harlem but the truth is he’d notice us within a month of being spotted, minimum, vanish in the night and we’d have to track him down all over again… Repeatedly. Bruce chose to leave and he knows how to live under the radar. Wanda- Wanda doesn’t have that option. So I’m saying, let’s respect Bruce’s choice. I’m saying, instead of searching for someone who doesn’t want to found, let’s focus on rebuilding the Avengers, rebuilding the public’s trust in us,”

Steve looked rebellious.

“Bruce, I mean Bruce,” Natasha said. “I know you feel like Tony ran out on us when things got hard but honestly having some distance from him will help us. Ultron is on Tony, you heard the press conference, he’s not denying it anymore. In Johannesburg, with Veronica, it was his failure to contain the Hulk, Tony might want to put it on Wanda but we won’t let him.”

Steve huffed, “I don’t know why Tony’s being so… so Tony! Wanda got to all of us, except Clint. Sure it put me out of commission for five, ten minutes but it’s not like she did any real harm. I don’t know why he blames her for Bruce losing control. If Bruce couldn’t handle… I mean, really all she did was give us a waking nightmare. If Bruce couldn’t handle a nightmare, maybe he _shouldn’t_ be around people.”

Natasha glanced away remembering the memories of the Red Room plaguing her, _‘But I’m not letting them control me.’_ Natasha rubbed her scared wrist again.

_The S.H.I.E.L.D. assassin plopped down beside her and Natalia felt a spur of hope. He’d had her dead to rights but by giving up the advantage of distance he’d given her a chance. She smirked to herself, it wouldn’t be the first time a man had decided he had what it took to ‘handle’ her._

_“What gave me away?” she asked conversationally._

_He nodded towards her wrist. “S.H.I.E.L.D.’s known about that for decades,” he said._

_Self-consciously Natalia found herself tugging down the sleeve of her jacket to cover the faint scar around her wrist. “You have good eyes,” she said. “Most men wouldn’t notice it if they were in bed with me.”_

_“Yeah, probably not the first place they’d be looking,” he said. “But S.H.I.E.L.D. sent me to find a Black Widow not a nice rack.”_

_“Why thank you for noticing.”_

_The assassin chuckled. “You ever thought about trying something new? S.H.I.E.L.D. employs agents, we’re not in the business of making or owning human-shaped weapons.”_

_Natalia thought about how a freelancer couldn’t expect to make a living if no one could find them to hire them. She thought about maybe doing some good in the world for once. She had no illusions about the Red Room’s intentions for the world; good people didn’t kidnap little girls, chain them to their beds at night between lessons in how to kill that they were forced to practice on each other. She thought about the odds of the assassin having a partner waiting in the shadows if his recruitment spiel failed._

_“I am always up for new experiences,” she said. She thought about remaking herself as someone new and offered him her hand, “Natasha and who is my new friend?”_

_“Clint, Clint Barton.”_

“Natasha? Natasha!” Steve was asking worriedly. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. I know you have feeling for Bruce.”

“Don’t worry about it, I’m fine,” Natasha assured him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, the idea that Wanda _should_ have to face the music for her willing, malicious actions in Johannesburg and more generally in aiding Ultron just never even crosses Steve or Natasha’s mind.


	4. Unparalleled Expert

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because I like Rhodes and NO ONE reacting, at all, to Thor picking Tony up by the neck is just nuts!!!

The heavy-set old man scowled at the lawyer from beneath bushy brows. “In 1991 Tony Stark built a learning bot, designate DUM-E, who couldn’t tell an allen wrench from a phillips screwdriver but who had learned to fetch coffee in response to being scolded. You want me to tell you what Tony did wrong in making Ultron but nearly a quarter of a century later and I still can’t tell you what he did RIGHT to make DUM-E. I’m not even sure I’ve managed to explain to you how remarkable it is that he programed a robot capable of figuring out the present-based apology-”

“He didn’t learn it from me,” Tony interjected earning scowls from several members of the panel.

“It’s true,” Pepper said from the audience, “The last time Tony tried he brought me strawberries, I’m allergic to strawberries.”

Tony wasn’t sure the panel appreciated Pepper’s interruption anymore than they’d appreciated his but he was grateful for the support. Only seven months after he’d blown up his suits for her Pepper had told him she wanted a break. It had taken him less than seventy-two hours to rebuild the Iron Man suit and less than five, after it was finished, to find a fight.

_Tony felt his adrenaline spike when he saw Pepper’s picture pop up on his phone’s screen almost as if he were preparing to go into battle again. “So I take it you’ve seen the news?” he asked and waited for the recriminations._

_Instead he heard Pepper take a deep breath. “We should do a press conference to announce that Iron Man is active again,” she said. Another hesitation, “Should I send the make-up artist? Wardrobe to accommodate a cast?”_

_The lack of push back left Tony feeling off balance, “I’m fine Pep, the guy was nothing really… Um, don’t send a car but send a hairdresser who knows how to deal with the helmet. I think I’ll show up in the armor.”_

_“I can do that,” Pepper replied evenly. “What do you plan to say about Iron Man’s brief retirement?”_

_“How about we go with my recent heart surgery. Do you want to make a bet on which journalist screams bullshit if I claim that I did the responsible thing and took some time to heal before jumping back into things?”_

_“Everhart,” Pepper said._

_“Take the sure thing why don’t you? Brown would call bullshit if I said Hammer was an idiot and the sky was blue.” Tony hesitated again, “You’re not mad? I blew up all the suits, promised you I was done then…”_

_“And then I said I needed a break,” Pepper replied. “I don’t think I’m exactly entitled to be angry right now.”_

_“But are you anyway?”_

_“I’m- I’m trying not to be trite.”_

_“It’s not you, it’s me?” Tony asked._

_“I should have been over the moon when you blew up the suits,” Pepper sighed. “I’m not angry now and I wasn’t happy then. I’m- I’m confused Tony. Something was wrong with us, me and I can’t, I need to figure out… When you blew up the suits, it- it something wasn’t right. I didn’t feel right. I need to sort me out.”_

_“So…”_

_“Just promise to call after every fight so I don’t have to worry, because I do. I worry when you’re out there and it doesn’t matter if we’re sleeping together or not.”_

It had been odd, like being in limbo. Tony had felt like he ought to ask what the rules of being on a ‘break’ were, did it mean that they could date other people for example, but he hadn’t felt like dating anyone else and he trusted Pepper to tell him if that was what she wanted so he didn’t bother. 

Then Thor came back and got all Shakespearean about needing to get the scepter back, like yesterday- Which Thor hadn’t even mentioned when he left before with his brother in tow. And if Tony suspected that the absence of visits to one Dr. Jane Foster had something to do with Thor’s passion to reclaim the scepter… Well, Tony wasn’t going to call him on it. Afterall he hadn’t, exactly, mentioned the situation with Pepper to the team either. He didn’t really think it would end up in Natasha’s report as supporting evidence for ‘Tony Stark - Not Recommended’ but, but… It wasn’t like it took any particular effort on his part. He called Pepper after every battle just like he’d promised and the team made assumptions. He went on business trips for SI and if they thought Pepper was on those same trips a little more often than was true, well there was no reason to correct them was there? He and Pepper weren’t really together and they weren’t really apart and it was no one’s business really.

Then Ultron and everything. Followed but the press conference were Tony very carefully fell on his sword in such a way as to make sure it was him and not the Avengers who’s presence at the inquest was mandatory. Because ever since Natashalie’s “You need us” performance and Cap’s no show, Tony had known that he didn’t need them doing PR for the team. 

And when Maria Hill notified him- Well, asked him if he knew what the Avengers were doing Paraguay while he’d been on his way to the inquest. Tony reminded himself, _‘It’s a good thing, really. And it’s not like I expected anything different.’_

The Avengers’ absence made it all the better when he saw Pepper, Happy and Rhodes waiting outside the courtroom so they could walk in with him. Pepper vanished during the first recess of the day but joined them for lunch on the second. “So what’d you hear?” Tony asked. “Are they assembling a firing squad?”

“They’re frustrated that every expert on artificial intelligence that they’ve called in defers to you,” Pepper reported. “But no one is questioning that your intentions were good. And taking into account the Invasion of Manhattan, the Battle of Greenwich, the mysterious Blue Goo eruption in Missouri, as well as rumors of other smaller incidents, the majority of the panel agrees that you had every reason to be concerned about future attacks.”

“Seriously?” Tony couldn’t help but ask. 

Rhodes flinched. “Tones… I’m pretty sure I owe you an apology. I mean, I took a blow to the head during the attack and most of the rest of the night is like this surreal nightmare- Shit like you saying J.A.R.V.I.S. was dead and Thor grabbing you by the neck while your team acted like everything was normal. -But -um- today I got a distinct memory of me acting like worrying about another incursions was ridiculous and-“

“Concussion huh?” Tony interrupted. “And I wrote it off to that Mezcal you were drinking at the party. You’ve always been a light-weight.”

“Only because your tolerance is terrifying,” Rhodes protested. “I’m still sorry if I made things worse with your team by being as ass.” He looked around. “Where is your team anyway?”

“You didn’t skip out on the Paraguay mission to be here?” Tony asked.

“What mission?” Rhodes replied.

“That’s what Hill wanted to know,” Tony said.

“Apparently the panel hasn’t been able to get responses from anyone else among the Avengers,” Pepper said. “I know Thor returned to Asgard and Dr. Banner is MIA but shouldn’t the rest of them be here?”

“They didn’t have anything to do with Ultron’s creation and come on,” Tony said. “We’re talking about a group who got suckered by a guy who stuck his brain in a Cray back in the 70’s and never upgraded. What could they possibly add to a discussion about a true Artificial Intelligence?” 

“They could support you,” Pepper said frowning. “Show concern about what happened. That they care about keeping it from happening again.”

“Captain America scolded me for fucking up, of course it’s never going to happen again,” Tony said sarcastically. “Why would they waste valuable time listening to other people entertain the notion that there might have been more going on with Ultron.” Then he smirked as he thought of Hulk safely ensconced back at the Tower, “Maybe they got another lead on Brucey-Bear.”

“Tony, you know Ultron’s creation is only part of what the inquest is about don’t you?” Rhodes asked. “The panel’s also going to be digging into how the Avengers did, and didn’t, respond after becoming aware of the threat. A lot of people aren’t real happy about you guys running off after Johannesburg.”

“Um, no,” Tony said. “And what were we supposed to do? Sit around and be arrested while Ultron was trying to wipe out the human race? How does anyone care about that next to the creation of a genocidal superbot? It wasn’t all on me but still- Isn’t the main point of the inquest to make sure nothing like Ultron ever happens again?”

Rhodes shook his head, “It’s not just the threat that people care about, it’s how the Avengers responded to it. The UN was trying to get ahold of you for ideas on how to protect the Launch Codes only you weren’t available then you punching it out with Hulk in Johannesburg then you and the rest of the Avengers were off the grid again. The next thing anyone knows Rogers and Ultron are going at it in Seoul. Then Sokovia, again the battle was on before local authorities were contacted… Unless we’re considering a guy with connections to an infamous terrorist organization shooting up a police station as the Avengers making contact with local authorities in Sokovia.”

“They know the twins are HYDRA?” Tony asked in surprise. “I thought Natasha expunged their record.”

“Well, thank God you and J.A.R.V.I.S. weren’t involved in _that_!” Pepper exclaimed.

* * *

Tony pulled into his private Garage in the Tower then leaned his forehead against the steering wheel. Every time his friends mentioned J.A.R.V.I.S. it was like a having one of his fingernails ripped off. _‘Why didn’t I tell them I can’t fix J? There’s something wrong with me. What if I screw him up?’_ He rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands, smearing the make-up covering the dark circles beneath his eyes. Then yelped in surprise when he lowered his hands to see Hulk crouched down peering through the window of the car. 

Tony rolled down the window. “Fancy meeting you here,” he said.

“HULK WAIT FOR TINMAN.”

“You did?” Tony couldn’t keep the pleased surprise out of his voice. 

“THEM TOLD TINMAN TINMAN NO MAKE CRAZY ROBOTS?” Hulk asked.

“Not formally, not yet,” Tony said as he got out of the car. “But yeah. They criticized how quickly Banner and I proceeded but no one’s saying negligence. There’s a good chance they’ll ask me to be involved in developing better protocols for alien artefacts are examined. I might have made mistakes but there isn’t exactly a huge pool of people with experience to draw from, I mean without calling on HYDRA or the supposedly defunct S.H.E.I.L.D.”

“TINMAN STAY HOME WITH HULK?”

“Sorry big guy,” Tony sighed. “I’d love to but that was only stage one. I guess they think the whole mess is worth going over.”

The Hulk was silent for several minutes. “HULK SAW BAD. BAD BAD. HULK SMASH, SMASH WRONG. HULK HURTED THEM,” he said regretfully.

“What?” Tony looked startled. “Johannesburg wasn’t your fault. Only the team’s gone nuts and they won’t tell anyone what that witch did to you. But the panel’s been listening to me about Ultron, I can try explaining.”

Hulk frowned. “HULK HURT, HULK TALK.”

“It wasn’t your fault but a lot of people are pretty upset,” Tony worried. “They might not understand. I’ll explain and if they don’t get it, you’ll be safe here.”

Hulk put his hands on Tony’s shoulders and crouched down, trying to get on eye level. “HULK HURT. HULK TALK, NOT TINMAN,” he insisted. 

“You’re determined?” Tony asked.

“HULK TALK.”

“Okay, if we’re doing this we’re doing it right,” Tony said feeling more energy than he had in months. “I’ve got some people to call. And-” Tony held up a hand, “Just because you’re testifying doesn’t mean I’m not going to be doing the same. Maybe even going first, establishing some background.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pepper knows Tony wasn't involved in the attempt to expunge records of the twins' terrorist past because there _were_ things left to be found.


	5. Protectors

“The tailor’s a must. And I’ll talk to legal. I’m betting we’re going to need some psych experts, someone to explain how what she made you and Bruce see would have affected you.” Tinman glanced up with a worried frown, “You’ll be okay telling someone what you saw?”

Hulk grunted an assent then his head came up as a second car pulled into Tinman’s garage. Hulk’s lips drew back from his teeth in a snarl as he pulled Tinman close in case the car tried to run them over. He’d had it with people attacking Tinman when he was out of his shiny shell. 

But the car only pulled into the first empty slot and a sort of roundish person jumped out, “Tony?” 

Hulk snarled warningly as the person reached under his jacket, a movement Hulk was all too familiar with.

“Easy Happy,” Tinman said patting Hulk’s arm placatingly, “You too big guy. We’re all friends here. Everyone’s friends. No smashing or shooting or anything crazy okay?”

“Is he protecting you?” Roundish asked letting his hand fall away from the gun under his jacket.

“Yep, sure looks that way,” Tinman said. 

Hulk didn’t like the way Tinman sounded surprised at that so he used a finger to tap him on the head reprovingly. 

“What?” Tinman asked as he swatted the finger away. “Happy protects me too. We’re all friends, ‘kay?”

Hulk squinted at Roundish, considering his actions in light of Hulk grabbing Tinman. After Spark grabbing Tinman and Captain throwing his shield at him- When he wasn’t in his shell! Hulk knew that smashing could be play between the Avengers but Tinman needed his shell for that game. -Roundish might not know Hulk wasn’t like Sparks or Captain. “FRIENDS,” Hulk agreed warily.

Tinman relaxed. “Well, I guess the cat’s out the bag. I brought Hulk down the other day, right before the inquest got started for real. He wants to testify about Johannesburg, cool right? ‘Course words aren’t really his thing so… Maybe the same sort of rules if a kid’s testifying or something? Can we do that? Right- Ask Pepper, or better yet someone from Legal. Why are you here anyway Hap? Shouldn’t you be keeping an eye on Pepper? I really don’t like that she doesn’t want to stay in the Tower.”

“I tried calling J.A.R.V.I.S.,” Roundish said, shifting nervously. “Rhodey wasn’t hallucinating you saying he’s dead was he?” 

Hulk snarled at Roundish again when Tinman flinched as if hit. _‘But Voice gone? HOW!?’_

“Not dead, ‘cause you know, program. But there’s a lot of damage to his code. Ultron went after his backups too. Then we used him as the base for Vision, because no telling what would happen if I’d tried to code someone new from scratch. FRIDAY was okay but I coded her and TADASHI years ago, in case things ever got too much for J.A.R.V.I.S… Or well, I thought it might be fun if he had a little sister or brother, someone a little more advanced than DUM-E, U and Butterfingers, who he could teach. But Ultron, you heard everyone today: No one can pin down what made Ultron go wrong. What if it’s me? I mean I started making him after the wormhole, with the- you know. What if that’s why he was messed up? So I put J’s code into Vision and it worked but he wasn’t J.” 

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Roundish asked.

Tinman shrugged and started walking toward the elevator. 

Hulk and Roundish fell in behind him. “How about Thor attacking you? Did that happen?” Roundish asked.

“YES,” Hulk said when Tinman hesitated.

“Boss, he could have killed you!” Roundish exclaimed. “And they seriously just stood there and watched? What is wrong with those people!?”

“Hey, don’t worry, I’m off the team anyway,” Tinman said. 

“I’m not okay with this Tony, I’m really not okay with it,” Roundish said. “You shouldn’t be around them without a bodyguard- Gah! Like that would do any good. You don’t go near them without the suit, got that Tony?” 

“They were mad okay. I get that, I make people mad,” Tinman said. “It’s not like Thor or Cap actually hurt me.”

“Rogers did something besides just watching while Thor threatened to break your neck?” Roundish demanded. 

Hulk reached over and patted him on the back. _‘Roundish okay,’_ Hulk decided.

“You aren’t what I expecting from a giant rage monster,” Roundish remarked once he’d regained his balance.

“Well, normally people shoot at Brucey, Hulk comes out and deals with them then he goes back to sleep,” Tinman explained. “I think Green Bean’s been out and about since Novi Grad.”

Hulk nodded, he wasn’t normally out when there was nothing to be mad about.

“Yeah, I guess that makes sense,” Roundish agreed. “But we have got to talk about proper safety measures around those people, Tony!”

“Yeah, yeah, I hear you Hap,” Tony waved him off. “But later, if the inquest goes chronological it won’t be long before they ask about Johannesburg.”

* * *

“Why do you have _that_ on?” Wanda asked when she saw Natasha watching the news coverage of the Ultron Inquest. 

“We all know how it’s going to end,” Sam said bitterly. “Stark’ll throw some money at them and it’ll all just go away. It’s how it always ends with people like him.”

“They’re asking about Johannesburg today,” Natasha said. She narrowed her eyes. There had been something different about Stark the last few days. He was been standing straighter. The grating, defensive sarcasm was toned down, almost gone. _‘I thought it was just because the Panel’s practically as paranoid about another Invasion as Stark and they were letting him off hook because they share his fears but…’_

“Despite rumors to the contrary… You know, that pretty little story about a couple of Sokovian Enhanced who caught wind of Ultron’s plans and bravely made their way to Seoul where they were able get in contact with Captain America and the Avengers before joining in the battle against Ultron to save the world… Well, the truth is Seoul wasn’t the first time the Avengers and I ran into the Maximoff Twins,” Tony said. Then he showed the panel footage of the confrontation with Ultron and the twins from Johannesburg. 

Natasha stared at the television in shock. “Tony’s doing it,” she said in disbelief. “We warned him but he’s doing it anyway.”

The lights overhead shattered as Wanda’s eye glowed an angry red.


	6. Moving On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inserted a new Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is the problem with writing fast. The next chapter I needed explanation for how Hulk had certain information. It's not really a side story, so I'm just going to go ahead and insert it.

“Why are we standing around talking in a parking garage?” Tony asked as he led Hulk and Happy into the elevator. “Let’s get the ball rolling. We’ll call Pep, get someone from Legal who’s up for Big Green assigned to the case. I’ll need to update my team, see how our strategy changes now that there’s someone to back me up when I say Maleficent’s bad news.”

“STUPID WITCH,” Hulk grumbled.

“I mean, sure I’ve got video footage of her and her brother with Ultron at Klaue’s salvage yard but… Well, me backed by digital proof versus Captain America’s vaunted reputation for honesty?” Tony shrugged. “I didn’t want to see the fall out from that.”

“They believed you in 2010,” Happy pointed out.

“When the other side was Senator Secretly-HYDRA and Justin Hammer,” Tony replied with a look of disgust. “I knew I could count on Hammer to confirm the content of the videos by trying to defend his screw ups.”

“Guess Hammer never heard the one about ‘better to remain silent…” Happy cut himself off as the elevator doors opened. “Fuck! Tony, tell me you haven’t been living here!” he exclaimed as he stared at the remnants of the party, the shattered glass, broken furniture, there were even a few walls with notable dents in them.

Tony looked around at the remains of the team, the family he’d believed was his and cringed.

Obviously there hadn’t been time to fix the place while Ultron was still active and then every contractor he could get his hands on had been busy knocking the new Avengers Compound into shape. _‘What was Clint thinking, taking Witchy home with him? I don’t give a shit that her brother died saving him, Clint’s got kids to think about! I could have put her up in a vacation house somewhere, but noooo. ‘Throwing your money at her is nothing but a sop for your conscience Tony. Do you think she wants to see the sort of luxury her family’s suffering paid for?’,’_ in his head Tony mimicked Steve’s condemning tone. _‘Well, Cap,’_ he answered his own thoughts, _‘She sure seems happy enough to sponge off me now.’_ It had been nearly a month before the living space at the Compound was done, Wanda was out of the Barton home and it was even thinkable for Tony to divert resources to the Tower. _‘And if I’d gotten used to visiting my own private memorial to the death of any illusions about my place on the team? Well that’s between me and these four walls.'_

“The damage doesn’t extend to the Penthouse,” Tony offered weakly.

“Tony,” Happy’s heartbroken look only made Tony feel guilty.

“HULK TOSS STINKY FOOD,” Hulk interjected.

Grateful Tony reached up to pat the Behemoth's shoulder, “Thanks for cleaning up Big Guy.”

Happy forced a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Yep, you probably saved Tony here from a case of food poisoning,” he said.

“Forget to check your coffee for mold just once and they never let you live it down,” Tony sighed dramatically.

Hulk’s eyes lit up as he remembered, “TINMAN, HULK MAKE FOOD!” he said excitedly.

“You made me dinner?” Tony asked, startled at the warm feeling bubbling up in his chest.

“CHEESEBURGERS!” Hulk announced proudly.

“This I’ve got to see,” Happy said as Hulk led the way to the kitchen. The frying pan looked like a doll’s accessory in Hulk’s huge hands. He didn’t bother with oven mitts, they wouldn’t fit and Hulk’s skin was too tough to be bothered by the heat of a stove anyway. The hamburger patties were notably too large for the buns and literally just chunks of hamburger. But they were cooked through and there was sliced cheese and buns sitting on the counter.

“This is great,” Tony enthused as he assembled one of the offered burger. “How’d you know I liked them?”

“HULK REMEMBER TINMAN ON TV,” Hulk explained. “BEFORE TINMAN WAS TINMAN.”

Happy’s jaw dropped. He turned to Tony, “You had a bag of cheeseburgers during the interview after you came home,” he said. “I didn’t think anyone remembered anything you said that day, except for the part where you shut down SI’s weapons division.”

“HULK REMEMBER.”

“Tony” Happy advised. “Lose the rest of your team. Keep this one.”

“Yeah,” Tony agreed. He looked back through the open door at the devastation left in Ultron’s wake. “You know, I think it’s time to start renovating.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When Clint shows up at the Compound he tells Wanda that he’s “probably disappointing my kids.” It occurs to me that he trusted the ex-HYDRA girl with mind-screw powers to know about his family more readily than he trusted Captain America.


	7. Scarlet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I added “Wicked Witch!Wanda” and “Villain!Wanda” tags. Because this is not Princess!Wanda who gets offended that the world doesn’t recognize that she tried to do the right thing and can’t understand that even if she didn’t mean for those people in Lagos to die (not Johannesburg, that was malicious and whatever guilt she feels about Lagos it doesn’t appear to extend to the collateral damage she caused in Johannesburg) that people are still upset. 
> 
> This story features the Wanda we originally met in AoU who hates Tony and doesn’t really give a shit who gets hurt when she goes after him (as long as the collateral isn’t so huge that she’d get caught in it herself)... Because the MCU never bothered to explain where that Wanda went to.

All it took was one tearful, late night call to summon Clint back to the Compound.

“I’m sorry,” Wanda said, her eyes were red and not due to her magic. “I shouldn’t have bothered you, you have your family to worry about. It’s just, without Pietro, I didn’t know who else to turn to. They all hate me, Stark’s turned everyone against me.”

“Hey, it’s going to be okay,” Clint told her, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “You made some mistakes but when it counted you were an Avenger, you stood up and saved the world with us. We’ll make them see. You and Pietro stood with us, we won’t abandon you.”

Wanda smiled tremendously and hugged Clint. “Yes, of course.” Faint wisps of red formed around fingers as she clung to him. “With all of you standing beside me I- I am not afraid of whatever Stark throws at me.”

Clint scowled at the reminder, “I don’t know who Stark thinks he’s fooling. Acting like he’s doing it for Banner. Who gives a damn about Banner anyway? If not for Nat he would have lit out before the fight even started and let the world burn.”

“Stark hates me,” Wanda said tragically. She buried her face against Clint’s chest. “He always has. He sent his weapons into my country to kill us all, I don’t know why.”

The look in Clint’s eyes darkened but he masked it behind a smile. “You’ll be fine, I promise. Why don’t you go hang out with Vision, that always makes you feel better.”

Wanda nodded without raising her head. “Thank you,” she sniffled. “You’ve been so good to me… Since I lost Pietro.”

As he walked away Clint’s eyes flashed red. He muttered, “Something’s got to be done about Stark.” Behind him, Wanda looked up, a vicious smile on her lips, a smoldering scarlet glow burning in the depths of her eyes.

 

* * *

 

 

“Are you sure about this?” Sam asked. “It just… Well, I mean consider how this looks: Here's Stark accusing Wanda of being behind Johannesburg. And I know it’s not true, Steve told me her powers can’t actually make anyone do anything, but breaking into his tower to confront him?  Think about it.”

“I just need to talk to Stark about what he’s doing to Wanda,” Clint insisted. “All I'm asking you to do is give me a lift up to the balcony. He’s probably told his security guys to hassle me and I don’t want to get anyone fired if they aren’t comfortable with that.”

Sam shook his head. “What’s this going to accomplish anyway? Stark’s already pointed the finger at Wanda.  We should be focusing on showing people how Ultron was manipulating her and how, as soon as she realized that when he said ‘save the world’ he meant ‘I wanna reenact 'Noah and the Flood'.  You don't mind if I play God right?’, she and Pietro turned against him.”

“I’m gonna remind Stark of a few things,” Clint said. “His weapons killed her parents. He destroyed her life. After everything he’s done to her, he owes it to her to fix this.”

“Seriously? SI weapons were used in Sokovia’s civil war so Stark owes her?” Sam shook his head. “You know it doesn’t work that way.”

Clint looked confused for a moment, “Yeah. Yeah, I know that,” he said quickly. “But that’s how Stark feels. You don’t know him like I do, once he’s been reminded of how Wanda’s suffered because of his weapons he’ll crumple like wet cardboard.”

“I guess, I don’t really know the guy. If you’re sure?” Sam check one last time.

“I'm sure,” Clint assured him.  "Wanda doesn't deserve this."

Sam leapt into the air then swung back around and and scooped Clint up. He banked and flew up the block then dropped Clint on the balcony of Stark Tower.

Clint casually strolled into what had been the Avengers’ common room until Ultron and the disastrous party. He was surprised, almost disturbed, to see it looking like one of his own home improvement projects, with stripped floors and exposed frames. Tony was standing near what had been the bar, in his ‘lab clothes’, jeans and a tee-shirt, wielding a sledgehammer. _‘Why didn’t he just hire someone? And why’d he wait so long? All these months, has it been just sitting here like some sort of… memorial?’_

Stark set the hammer down. “What a surprise, seeing you here… In my new… Well, whatever it ends up. You know there’s a thing, elevators? You might have heard of them.”

“Dull,” Clint replied. “Besides I’m here. You kicking me out?”

“Not yet,” Stark said. “I’d offer you a drink but..." He gestured to the last few feet of undemolished bar.  "So how’s retirement treating you?”

There was a sarcastic lilt to Stark's voice that made Clint certain the billionaire knew exactly why he was there. “Like you care,” he said.

“That’s it for the pleasantries then?” Stark asked wryly. “What do you want? Farming not paying the bills? Personally, I thought the retirement package SI put together was pretty generous.”

“Don’t play dumb it doesn’t suit you Stark," Clint snapped. "You’re going to stop harassing Wanda or…”

“Wait, what?” 

“Like you thought we were just going to let you get away with that shit,” Clint snarled.

Stark frowned, “Barton, you of all people, are telling me I shouldn’t do everything I can to clear Hulk’s name after he was MIND CONTROLLED into attacking Johannesburg?”

“That’s not what happened!” Clint growled feeling a red hot rage welling up in his gut. “Wanda doesn't do that!”

Stark tilted his head, an expression that might have been concern flickered across his face. “Clint, you do remember South Africa right?”

_He didn’t even know why he’d come._

“The lead about Klaue? Confronting Ultron and the twins in that salvage yard?”

_Everything Stark touched turned toxic, his words were poison seeping into the minds of anyone who listened to him._

“Ultron drawing me off? Hulk going nuts and me calling for help? You do remember that, don’t you?”

_He didn’t know why he’d come._

“I called for help but you’re the last man standing thanks to Witchy-Wanda. She took down every other member of the team... Using powers she got from Loki’s Scepter. _‘I've done the whole mind control thing. Not a fan.’_ You remember that right?”

“What I know is YOU created that damned murder-bot and then YOU ‘talked’ to that Inquest and NOW Wanda’s getting charged with some crime,” Clint snarled. “So whatever it is you did to turn them against her your going to undo it right now. Or else!”

“What I did?” Stark exclaimed. “Have you gone nuts? All I did was tell the truth! Wanda got to Hulk’s mind, just like Loki did to you! Am I the only one who cares about that?!”

Clint’s eyes fell on the shards of torn up tile littering the floor. A red haze filled his vision. _‘Stark had to be stopped.’_

The shard was in his hand. _“Clint?”_ The shape and heft of it. _Stark’s hands raised defensively._ Flip, catch, arm drawing back. _A bone rattling roar behind him._ The shard leaving his fingers. _Realization._ “NO!” _Was that his own voice?_ A huge hand closing on his shoulder.

As he flew across the room Clint had a bare moment to think, _‘Oh fuck, this is going to hurt.’_

**“BANNER! BANNER!”** The panicked roar dragged Clint from unconsciousness. _‘How long was I out?’_

Blood. So much blood. Memory surging back. _‘Oh God, Tony.’_ Clint tried to push himself upright. Agony lanced through his whole body when he tried to move and he fell back to the floor, vision swimming. He caught a brief glimpse of Bruce Banner, a massively oversized shirt hanging off his shoulder, running for the intercom.

“Get an ambulance. Tony Stark is hurt. Avenger’s level. As soon as you’ve got them on the line...”

_‘What did I do?’_ Clint wondered as the world greyed out again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the Flying Monkey!Clint tag coming into play. Apart from doing nothing when Thor grabbed Tony (which EVERYONE did), Clint didn’t turn into a complete asshole until after Wanda started hanging around. Steve and Natasha are much harder to say “It’s mind control” because the omission about Tony’s parents predates Wanda by around a year.
> 
> I will get back to Hulk testifying on Johannesburg but with Tony NOT quietly slinking off in disgrace leaving the Avengers to Wanda while he funded her shiny new life-style and, worse yet, he’s forcing her to own her actions in Johannesburg… Well, Wanda is not a happy camper (Tony was also expecting to be lectured about being a meany rather than having Wanda mind control one of his former teammates into trying to murder him).


	8. Free Fall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a pain, I kept thinking that Steve and Natasha should be trying to prepare a defense for Wanda, then I’d remember the end of CAWS.... and CACW... and IW and, well… The Team!Cap thought process seems to go: “Our intentions are good, if a law would prohibit us from carrying out our good intentions it is bad. If people die while we are carrying out our good intentions that’s unfortunate but sometimes you can’t save everyone… What do you mean, the road to Hell is paved with good intentions? … Okay, maybe that’s true for OTHER people, Tony certainly, but WE’RE different, special.”

After dropping Clint off Sam stowed his wings in the back of the Compound SUV then found a Starbucks across from Stark Tower. Despite Clint’s all of assurances, including telling Sam not to bother sticking around because Stark would give him a ride to the airport after they finished talking, Sam still had a bad feeling that the day was going to end with him bailing Clint out of jail for assaulting Stark.

He’d barely settled in with his coffee when the typical noise of the city was shattered by approaching sirens. Several police cars pulled up in front of the Tower and Sam groaned, “I knew this was going to happen.” When an ambulance arrived shortly after the police Sam felt something clench uncomfortably in his gut.

He abandoned his coffee and joined the crowd of gawkers gathering in front of Stark Towers. _‘Maybe it’s just a precaution.’_ Even Sam’s mental voice didn’t sound particularly convincing. If there’d been any sort of physical altercation it wouldn’t have surprised him if the police or Stark’s people insisted on a medical exam to establish the extent of any injuries but they wouldn’t have sent an ambulance for that.

The second ambulance’s arrival several minutes later barely made a dent in Sam’s awareness as he watched a group of medics wheeled a stretcher out of the building. From the bevy of SI security personnel mixed in with the police Sam assumed it was Tony Stark but there were too many medics crowded around the stretcher for him to be sure. As the ambulance sped away, the feeling in Sam’s gut turned to abject horror.

No longer expecting that this was going to be as simple as bail and a fine and everyone thinking, knowing that the Avengers had tried to intimidate Stark into recanting what he’d said about Wanda, Sam remained outside of the Tower, frozen as he waited to see Clint taken away by the police. The second stretcher caught him off guard. There was less of a sense of urgency in how the medics moved, more police and Sam could see Clint’s ankles were handcuffed to the stretcher, but the efforts to immobilize his upper body were medical rather than to prevent escape.

As the second ambulance drove away, Sam found himself working his way to the front of the crowd. ‘Steve needs to be told what happened,’ ran straight into _‘Better to come forward than to let them figure it out for themselves.’_ It didn’t take long for the police cooridining off the path from SI’s lobby door to the street to noticed Sam standing at the barrier. “I think I need to talk to someone,” Sam heard himself saying. “About how Clint got into the Tower.”

 

* * *

 

 

“Should we not be planning how to make people see that Wanda has changed and now embraces a path of protecting and serving humanity rather than revenge?” Vision asked as he glanced around the Compound living room.

Wanda was sitting on the ottoman practicing chords on her guitar. Steve was perched in the window, where the light was best, bent over his sketchbook. And Natasha was curled up in a corner of the couch with a glass of wine and book. Sam had yet to return from driving Clint back to the airport after his visit to check up on Wanda. Vision frowned in confusion, _‘Wanda was terribly upset earlier. But now she does not appear concerned at all. What could Mr. Barton have possibly said to bring forth such a change? And was it wise? Wanda is still being charged with a serious crime and I am worried that people will react out of fear due to the nature of her powers. To be confronted with someone able to enter your mind, access your private thoughts and fears, influence them… I understand why they would find that a terrifying prospect but it may lead them to be unduly harsh with her.’_

“While Mr. Stark has been honest in his assessment that the Hulk was not to blame for the suffering caused to the people of Johannesburg, he has not been verbose in explaining that Wanda is no longer seeking her misguided retribution. Therefore, it falls to us to make the public see that there is no longer a need to rehabilitate her,” Vision continued.

“Vision, when it comes time I’m going to explain that Tony’s confused,” Steve said with authority. “Wanda’s powers don’t work like he’s claiming, she can’t control anyone. Ultimately he just can’t accept that it was his screw up that created Ultron and he’s trying to find someone else to blame.”

“Don’t worry so much,” Natasha added. “Wanda is part of the team. With Thor gone and Tony retired we need her, the world needs her. We’ll remind them of that and they’ll back off just like they did after we exposed HYDRA in 2014.”

Wanda smiled. “You’re so sweet to worry about me Viz,” she said. “But everything will take care of itself. As long as you all are with me, I’m not afraid of anything.”

As Vision considered how to better express his concerns. Natasha’s phone rang, she answered it then got up and walked out.

* * *

 

“Alright Clint, I’m alone,” Natasha said as she shut the door to her bedroom behind her. “What’s going on?”

“I attacked Tony,” Clint said.

Natasha’s hand tightened on her phone as she asked, “What? Attacked how? Are you in trouble?”

“Wanda’s powers, I tried to kill him,” Clint said.

“After the nightmares she had last night she must have lost control,” Natasha said. “His accusations, that they’re bringing charges. She’s acting brave but I can only imagine how scared she must be.”

“Nat, listen to me,” Clint pled. “I’m not sure that she’s not affecting you but if you want to save yourself, and her, you have got to listen to me. In a couple minutes when the police and a JCTC team show up to arrest her, don't resist.”

“Please, we’re the Avengers,” Natasha scoffed.

“Yeah and you haven’t asked me how hurt Tony is,” Clint replied sharply. “Do you want the Avengers going up against cops when you’re too compromised to remember Tony’s a friend and a teammate?”

Natasha hesitated.

A piercing shriek filled the compound. The phone fell from Natasha’s hands as she hurried to cover her ears. It did no good. She managed two steps before vertigo drove her to her knees.

* * *

 

Vision connected to the internet to search for a better way of conveying his concerns but was immediately inundated with dozens of reports about the attack on Tony Stark:

_“Tony Stark hospitalized following attack in his home. Iron Man armor was not apparently involved.”_

_“Police are withholding the identity of the man taken into custody following attack at Stark Towers.”_

_“Pepper Potts, unavailable for comment after attack on Tony Stark.”_

_“No official news from Stark Industries after the billionaire industrialist, superhero was taken into surgery.”_

As Vision began a more indepth search of the police and hospital networks a sonic grenade exploded in the center of the room. Steve dropped first, his enhanced hearing leaving him particularly vulnerable, Wanda crumpled a moment later as Vision reflexively switched off his audio receptors. A part of Vision wished to run to Wanda’s side and check that she was unharmed but as his online probes brought back increasingly disturbing information the impulse began to war with a desire to draw back from her in horror.

Maria Hill led a team of her people into the room. From the hand gestures they employed Vision assumed that they were equipped with some form of earplugs.

They surrounded him, weapons raised warily. Vision reached out for to the web one last time, connecting to the security camera in the operating room where Tony Stark lay unconscious as a surgeon carefully removed the shards of tile from his chest, _“Missed the the inferior vena cava by millimeters.”_ Vision raised his hands in surrender.

Hill’s men watched him warily as they put a power suppression collar on Wanda and thickly reinforced restraints on Steve’s wrists and ankles. Several other men carried Natasha out of her room, the cuffs on her weren’t so imposing as the ones they’d used on Steve but they locked her wrists to the opposite forearm and the locking mechanism was carefully positioned to be inaccessible to her.

Hill gestured sharply and one of her subordinates did something to the sonic grenade then Hill took out her ear plugs. In turn, Vision restored function to his audio receptors. “The JCTC will have a team here shortly to take you all into custody,” Hill told him. “As the Science Division left my people a few things… They were concerned about our safety here. Do you understand why?”

Vision nodded, “Today marks the third time in as many months that Dr. Stark was attacked by one of his teammates. Ostensibly, apart from his armor, Tony Stark is not Enhanced, he has no special combat training and yet, repeatedly, his teammates have failed to take that into consideration when physically confronting him. Or, if they did consider the lack of his armor, they purposely targeted him when he was most vulnerable.” He considered for a moment. “Dr. Cho was controlled by Ultron. When Wanda realized what he intended, she freed Dr. Cho… and the twins fled while Dr. Cho stopped Ultron’s transfer to this this body. He shot her and her technicians for her act of resistance, while Wanda and her brother did nothing to stop him. The Avengers did nothing to stop Thor as he threatened to snap Tony Stark’s neck while he was defenseless. Dr. Cho and the other scientists who left feared that they or you would find yourself at the mercy of an Enhanced Individual while living here… And that those with comparable powers would fail to act in your defense. So they provided you with the means to defend yourselves.”

“That’s correct,” Hill said cautiously. “When I saw the arrest warrant go out I decided to use those items in defense of the JCTC team, to prevent a fight before it could begin. If the team is being controlled by Ms. Maximoff, they wouldn’t have surrendered quietly. Even if they aren’t being controlled, Captain Rogers’ history indicates that he responds poorly to ultimatums.

“I’ve worked with Clint Barton for years, if he’d wanted Tony Stark dead, Stark would be dead. He would have been shot from over a block away and died before he hit the ground. The Clint Barton I know wouldn’t have missed his vitals. So I believe Clint when he says he was mind controlled.”

Vision glanced at Wanda’s unconscious form sadly. “I believed her when she said she had changed… No,” he corrected himself. “She never said she had changed, I simply fooled myself.”

* * *

 

In a heavily guarded hospital room, Everett Ross turned off Clint’s cell phone. “Mr. Barton, while your offer to attempt to talk the Avengers into surrendering quietly is appreciated, it appears to have been made redundant.”

“Are they alright?” Clint asked.

“The Avengers have been taken into custody without any injuries,” Everett told him. “Agent Hill’s surprise attack was highly effective.”

Clint let his head fall back against the pillow, he’d been sitting up as much as his restraints and casts allowed ever since the screech of the sonic grenade had erupted from his phone before Natasha could consider his point. “What happens now?” he asked.

“Now we try to determine if it’s possible to prove mind control,” Everett replied. “What a wonderful new world we live in.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't tick off your support staff


	9. Surreal Awakening

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I probably won't see Endgame until sometime around the 2nd week of May. Please hold off any spoiler for the movie in the comments for awhile. Thanks!

Bruce was sleeping in a dark, claustrophobic place when a huge hand reached in yanked him out by the scruff of the neck like a kitten. Then he was standing in the demolished remains of the Avengers’ common area looking down at Tony Stark. Tony’s chest was covered with blood. A large shard of something protruding from the wound, right below his heart.

_‘Hulk wouldn’t have left if we were still in danger.’_ Bruce decided. _‘Focus on Tony. How I got here and what happened can wait.’_

_‘Have to stop the bleeding, direct pressure’s out with the shard by his heart,’_ Bruce thought. “J.A.R.V.I.S.? Or, um, FRIDAY?” he called.

When there was no answer he turned and ran for the intercom only to see Clint sprawled on the floor beneath a dented wall. _‘Oh God, Hulk?’_ Bruce thought, glancing back at Tony.

_“No hurt Tinman.”_ Hulk grumbled from the depths of his mind. Bruce decided not to go down the rabbit hole of implications that statement opened up. Tony was bleeding out. At a glance, Clint was concussed with probable broken bones.

The intercom worked. “Get an ambulance,” Bruce ordered as he reached for the first aid kit that he’d insisted on having in the room. “Tony Stark is hurt. Avengers’ level. As soon as you’ve got them on the line get the phone to me. I need to update them, sooner the better. Clint Barton is also injured.”

The first aid kit was missing and Bruce felt a boiling rage at whoever had moved the kit that only brought the faintest stirring from the Hulk. _“Fix Tinman,”_ the behemoth ordered.

_“And Barton?”_ Bruce thought back as he pounced on a tube of crazy glue.

_“Birdie hurt Tinman.”_

Bruce almost dropped the crazy glue. _“Not now.”_ He put it out of his mind, sliced open the tube and squeezed a thick layer of crazy glue around the shard. He sighed in relief as it sealed the wound.

“Doc?” Bruce turned and saw Tony’s Head of Security holding out a phone.

Bruce grabbed it and launched into a rapid-fire, jargon ladened explanation of Tony’s condition. “There’s a second victim,” Bruce added when he finished. Hulk grumbled. “Or possibly attacker,” Bruce amended then passed on the information about Clint’s injuries.

“Are they going to arrest me?” Bruce asked Happy as they waited for the EMT’s to arrive.

“Boss has an agreement with the JCTC that Hulk can stay here, in the tower, until Johannesburg is sorted out,” Happy said.

Bruce nodded. But a moment later his eyes and skin shifted to green. “STAY WITH TINMAN!”

“I’ll stay with him,” Happy said, unperturbed. “You’ll cause him trouble if you don’t stay where you promised, Big Guy.”

“TINMAN HURT!” Hulk protested.

Happy nodded. “I’ll get the medical wing in the Tower up and running again as soon as I can, then you can keep an eye on Tony,” he promised. “But right now Tony needs a hospital and you have to stay here.”

“BANNER GO,” Hulk said.

“No,” Happy replied sternly. “You promised the boss. You stay, Doc stays. I’ll get Tony home as soon as I can.”

Grumbling the Hulk faded back into the depths of Bruce’s mind, leaving the biophysicist staring at Happy in utter shock. “He listened to you.”

“Why wouldn’t he?” Happy replied as the EMT’s arrived. “We both want Tony safe.”

Bruce pressed himself back against the wall, out of the way and inconspicuous, as the EMT’s swarmed over Tony and Clint. It only took a few minutes for Bruce to be assured that his teammates were in good hands, that he wasn’t needed. He felt himself sliding back down toward that small dark space in his mind…

 

* * *

 

 

The professional urgency driving the people swarming over Tinman and Birdie shattered when the Hulk simply appeared in the room.

Hulk bared his teeth at them in irritation. _‘Should made Banner stay,'_  he thought grumpily.

“What are you all staring at?” Roundish demanded stomping over to stand with Hulk. “Don’t you have jobs to do?”

“You heard him!” the small blond who’d just stepped off the elevator added. He flashed a badge, “Assistant Director Everett K. Ross of the UN’s Joint Terrorism Task Force. I’m quite glad to see the Hulk here, since it means he’s keeping his agreement with the JCTC about containment while the facts of the matter in Johannesburg are being established.”

“FUSSY,” Hulk growled. He pointed at the downed archer. “BIRDIE HURT TINMAN.”

“Director or Agent Ross,” Fussy corrected.

“FEH,” Hulk huffed at the small man but he was glad to see that most of the healers had turned their attention back to Tinman, checking over Banner’s work to stop the bleeding and stabilize the shard in Tinman’s chest. The remainder were locking Birdie into plastic molds that immobilized most of his upper body as the man slowly began to stir. Hulk grumbled to himself, he felt bad when he looked at the dented wall and Birdie crumpled beneath it then he remembered Birdie attacking his Tinman and wished he’d thrown him harder so the healers wouldn’t be distracted from Tinman.

After several long minutes Tinman had been moved to stretcher. When the healers went to take him away, Roundish and most of his people left with them. Hulk frowned, he wished he hadn’t promised to stay. He didn’t like Tinman being out of his sight.

“I don’t hate Tony!” Birdie declared loudly, having apparently regained consciousness while Hulk had been focused on Tinman. Hulk looked over at him and saw that somehow Birdie had managed to get ahold of Fussy’s shirt front and was dragging the man down until they were nose to nose.

“So murder attempts are a sign of affection between you people?” Fussy asked sarcastically as he pried Birdie’s fingers from his shirt and sat back straightening his tie.

Birdie turned pale. “I was- I was just going to talk to him, about what he was saying about Wanda… Why would I do that? Wanda screwed with practically the whole team in Johannesburg. We hadn’t called a Code Green, Bruce was on the radio. He would have been back on the Quinjet… Mind-raping bitch must have gone searching for him. Then it was the end of the world looming and I don’t really give a damn about who I’m fighting with for those stakes-” Birdie broke off, his expression filling with guilt, “Wanda’s brother died saving my ass, I owe it to him to look after her. And Tony was talking about Johannesburg, he wouldn’t quit saying it was Wanda’s fault-” Confusion replaced the guilt. “It was her fault, he was barely doing more than giving mission report and I saw red…” Realization struck. “Oh fuck, not again,” Birdie groaned. “When’d she get to me?”

Hulk shuffled over to peer more closely at Birdie. He had the same festering wound smell that Tinman had when the bad thoughts were at their strongest. He wasn’t really sorry for tossing Birdie into the wall, since it knocked the crazy out of him but…. He cautiously patted Birdie’s ankle as he was loaded onto the second stretcher and wheeled out.

_“Banner!”_ Hulk poked at the hole Banner had fallen into until he felt the other stirring. _“How hard hit?”_ he asked pushing what had happened at Banner and the belief that most of not all the other Avengers were going to need a good thump shortly.

A flood of information about concussions and brain damage came back with an overtone of _“Don’t you dare!”_

Hulk shoved the image of Tinman covered with blood back at Banner then pointedly turned his back on the other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Everett Ross has spoken with Hulk before, off-screen. I've got some mixed feelings because it would be fun to include his initial reaction when Tony introduced him to the new witness who was coming forward. At the same time I don't want to include Ross collecting statements from people because that's the same info that would be presented at the trial and I'd rather have everyone present to react when that information comes out. 
> 
> Bruce/Hulk is about the only character whom I feel no urge to include a 'no relation' scene for Everett, neither of them are going to judge a person based on their relationship to General Ross ;-) .
> 
> I was planning to get to Tony's return to the Tower in this chapter but arraignment situation for Team!Cap needs to happen more quickly, which will probably push Tony's return out not next chapter but the one after.


	10. Trying

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I decided to include Jennifer Walters as the SI lawyer representing the Hulk but she’s not She-Hulk and if she happens to be Bruce Banner’s cousin, well… It’s not relevant at the moment.

_‘Some days you wake up just knowing it’s going to be a long day,’_ Everett Ross thought as he considered his next meeting.

He’d already taken statements from Samuel Wilson, Clint Barton, and the Hulk with regards to Barton’s attack on Stark. Stark himself was still in surgery and Everett had failed to get a statement from Dr. Bruce Banner.

 

> _Hulk shrugged after what Everett deemed a desultory attempt at summoning his other. “BANNER NO COME. HULK SEE TINMAN NOW?”_
> 
> _Everett scowled up at the behemoth. “Are you attempting to solicit a bribe from a JCTC official?” he demanded._
> 
> _The SI lawyer accompanying Hulk gave Everett a disapproving look, “You are assigning motives to his actions, our psychological expert…”_
> 
> _“Yep,” Everett interrupted. “I read the report. And based on what your expert said I assume Hulk is acting like a spoiled child, refusing to cooperate without promise of a reward.”_
> 
> _“FUSSY, NO ASSUME,” Hulk scolded shaking a finger at Everett._
> 
> _“I am not fussy!” Everett exclaimed. To his disgust, he saw the lawyer’s lips twitching with a repressed grin._
> 
> _“Hulk is concerned about Tony,” the lawyer continued. “Which is complete understandable given that Dr. Stark was being loaded into an ambulance the last time he saw him. Mr. Hulk has been upholding the promise he made to you and Dr. Stark to remain within Stark Towers but given the unforeseen circumstances he would like to amend the agreement to enable visiting Dr. Stark at the hospital.”_
> 
> _“And re-enact a bull in a china shop?” Everett demanded. He turned to Hulk, “I thought you liked Stark.”_
> 
> _“HULK NEVER HURT TINMAN.”_
> 
> _“We are also amenable to setting up a video conferencing arrangement so he could simply SEE that Dr. Stark is still alive,” the lawyer said._
> 
> _“Ms. Walters-“ Everett began._
> 
> _The SI lawyer smoothly cut him off, “Thus far Mr. Hulk has been voluntarily abiding by the JCTC’s requirements of him. This one request of his is entirely reasonable… And has no bearing on his inability to rouse Dr. Banner.”_
> 
> _“BANNER BABY,” Hulk opined._
> 
> _“Again, please refer to the expert opinions we have provided, it is likely that Dr. Banner is experiencing a depressive episode due to the entire world turning on him, despite years of acting as one of its’ protectors, after Ms. Maximoff’s unprovoked attack on his mind which was followed, less than forty-eight hours later, by being shoved off a cliff by a woman who professed to love him. One Natasha Romanoff, also known as the the Black Widow, Natalie Rushman, Natalia Romanova… among many others,” Ms. Walter’s cool professional demeanor cracked slightly allowing a moue of distaste to show. Everett wondered if she’d had an encounter with Romanoff during the Agent’s infiltration of Stark Industries. “Dr. Banner has experienced previous episodes including one suicide attempt prevented by Mr. Hulk. From what Mr. Hulk has been able to convey, Dr. Banner has been extremely withdrawn from reality since Ms. Romanoff’s attack._
> 
> _“Under the extreme circumstances created by Mr. Barton’s attack on Dr. Stark, Hulk was able to briefly rouse Dr. Banner. Dr. Banner then summoned an ambulance and performed first aid for Dr. Stark, he continued monitoring Dr. Stark’s condition until the EMT’s arrived, at which point he withdrew mentally, to the point that Mr. Hulk emerged. We have provided multiple examples from media coverage of the Avengers’ actions, S.H.I.E.L.D.’s files and from General Ross’ records of his attempts to apprehend or kill Mr. Hulk showing how abnormal it is for Dr. Banner to shift to Mr. Hulk without provocation. Dr. Banner is likely not in a normal state of mind. If Mr. Hulk informs you that he will not emerge you have no basis for assuming that Mr. Hulk is NOT cooperating with you to the best of his ability… Especially given that Mr. Hulk has been cooperating with this investigation thus far,” Ms. Walters concluded primly._
> 
> _“If you’d let me talk,” Everett huffed. “I’ll ask Hogan and Potts if they’ll agree to setting up a video conference so he can visit with Stark once he’s out of surgery.” He turned to the Hulk, “Potts contacted some fancy Doctor from Seoul, apparently she can fix Stark up just like that,” he said with a snap of his fingers. “So don’t worry, he should be back to his annoying self in no time.”_

After the Hulk Everett had talked to Ms. Hill about her actions. A small smirk quirked up his lips at the thought of that talk. _‘At least there’s one person around here who understands rules, regulations and the necessary rigmarole when you break them. Respect does not mean blind compliance, thank you very much.’_

Standing with a hand on the door to the conference room Everett took a moment, _‘Just because I like Hill’s style doesn’t mean her perceptions are correct,’_ he reminded himself sternly. _‘Don’t prejudge the situation… Even if Hill’s take and Airman Wilson’s actions do seem to line up.’_ Everett put on a neutral expression and opened the door to find himself the recipient of Captain Rogers’ stern disapproving look. Natasha Romanoff remained curled in her chair, a mysterious, slightly amused smile playing around her lips. The entity known as Vision nodded politely to Everett from where he stood, somewhat removed from the other two.

“On behalf of the JCTC, I apologize for bringing you here without due cause,” Everett said. “Ms. Hill has been reprimanded for her… overstepping. If you wish to bring charges against her for assault you are, of course, free to do so. However, she has asked that you be made aware, in advance, that her defense will rest upon exposing the multitude of times she has witnessed a member of the Avengers display a disturbing disregard for the well-being of the baseline humans around them. She would rather not do this as she worries that it may have a negative impact on the public perception of all Enhanced, but if charges are brought…”

“So you’re here to convey your regrets and pass along Agent Hill’s empty threats?” Romanoff asked, still giving the impression of being amused.

Rogers scowled, “This is ridiculous. The Avengers have proven, time and time again, that we are humanity’s protectors.”

Everett stared back at him, unimpressed, “Yes, you protect humanity, Ms. Hill’s claim, however, is about the individuals who are trampled in the process. I’m certain you only do it for the greater good but the little old lady who is run down while you rushed to stop the alien invasion? Her grandchildren may ask why you couldn’t have just gone around. You understand?”

“No,” Rogers replied mulishly. “Is that a reference to something?”

Everett sighed, “Sure you saved the world from Ultron but the people of Johannesburg still want answers. Dr. Stark crossed lines to give them and we ended up here.”

Romanoff’s expression shifted to one of sad disapproval. “Tony’s ego just won’t let him admit that Ultron was his fault,” she said and Rogers nodded.

“Your earlier accounts of Johannesburg neglected to mention Ultron as a factor,” Everett said dryly.

Rogers started to speak then hesitated with a glance at Romanoff.

“Given the situation with Ultron, Tony’s creation of Ultron, we were all very on edge,” Romanoff said. She shook her head sadly, “Tony’s never been properly cautious with potentially dangerous situations; did you know he tried shocking Dr. Banner with an electric probe shortly after meeting him? Just to see what would happen? Bruce lost control, Johannesburg happened. Neither of them are with the Avengers any longer. None of us know why Tony is casting shade on Wanda. Her parents were killed by one of his missiles, she and her brother were trapped in the rubble for days, they were lucky to survive.”

Everett noted Vision’s troubled expression. He watched the Synthroid carefully as he replied, “From that I’m supposed to take away that it was somehow Dr. Stark’s fault the Hulk went berserk in Johannesburg? Although you’ve been very careful _not_ to actually say that.”

“I don’t know what caused Hulk to go berserk,” Romanoff replied. “And every word I said to you was true.”

“But I’m more interested in the things you didn’t say,” Everett said. “Was Wanda Maximoff in South Africa?”

“Wanda’s powers don’t work like Tony says they do,” Rogers stated firmly.

Everett nodded to himself, always keeping one eye on Vision. “Was she working with Ultron at that time?”

“If not for Tony messing with things he shouldn’t have Ultron never would have existed,” Rogers insisted.

“Shall I take that as ‘yes’ and ‘yes’?” Everett asked.

“Yes,” Vision said simply.

“I think we should go now,” Natasha said. “After all, as you said, you have no reason to hold us.”

“Of course,” Everett agreed. “You’re free to go… Wilson might even be able to give you a ride home, assuming he can make bail and get his vehicle out of impound. Naturally we’ll be holding onto the Falcon wings. Even if they aren’t the original ones he stole from the U.S. military they were still used in the commission of a serious crime.”

“What!” Rogers exclaimed. “Sam’s a good man he would never-”

“Mr. Wilson has been charged as an accomplice in the attempted murder of Dr. Anthony Edward Stark,” Everett said blandly. “He used those wings to provide Dr. Stark’s assailant with access to his victim.”

“That’s not fair, Sam couldn’t have known what was going to happen,” Rogers protested. “Someone had to set Tony straight and I’m sure that’s all Clint intended to do. I don’t know what went wrong but Sam never would have taken Clint to the Tower if he’d known how it was going to turn out.”

Everett looked unimpressed, “According to Mr. Wilson’s statement he used the Falcon wings to bypass Dr. Stark’s security with the expectation that the confrontation would turn physical. He was correct in his assumption: Within five minutes of illegally entering Dr. Stark’s property Mr. Barton attacked Dr. Stark with lethal intent... And when I took Mr. Barton’s statement he claimed that, like the Hulk, his actions had been compelled by the use of Ms. Maximoff’s powers.”

“If Wanda did anything, it wouldn’t have been on purpose,” Romanoff said quickly. “She’s young, she doesn’t have full control over her powers. Clint’s like a father to her, knowing his history with mind control she’d never intentionally use her powers to influence him.”

“Interesting,” Everett said. “According to you Ms. Maximoff would not have deliberately _used Mr. Barton_ to attack Dr. Stark. You didn’t say she wouldn’t attack Dr. Stark.”

“Tony’s attacking her isn’t he?” Rogers said darkly.

“Accusing her,” Everett corrected. “Which, possibly, prompted a near fatal attack on Dr. Stark. I’m sure the judge who decided a subpoena was sufficient to ensure Ms. Maximoff’s appearance in court for the initial assault charges is kicking himself right now. A warrant being issued for Ms. Maximoff’s arrest. Ms. Hill became aware of this and concluded that Ms. Maximoff would resist arrest and that the Avengers would aid her in any confrontation with law enforcement representatives.”

Neither Rogers or Romanoff said anything in response to that.

“Then Ms. Hill preemptively decided to make a citizen’s arrest, disabling all of you rather than allowing you to do harm to my team, who had actual legal authority to take Ms. Maximoff into custody.” Everett shrugged, “Despite her good intentions and the fact that she did not injure any of you in the process, Ms. Hill had no legal basis for arresting you. Which brings us full circle: The three of you are being released with an apology and the information that you can press charges if you like… To which Ms. Hill will respond with evidence that the Avengers have a history of showing a callous disregard for the wellbeing of baseline humans who get in their way, and thus she had good reason to believe you represented an immediate threat to my team. Do you wish to press charges or not?”

Romanoff put a hand on Roger’s arm. “Agent Hill was acting on her conscience and she didn’t harm us,” she said for both of them. “All’s forgiven.”

Rogers’ expression soured but he didn’t disagree. “You said Sam can leave as soon as his bail is paid. What about Wanda and Clint?”

Everett blinked at him in shock. “I’m not even going to address the part where you don’t seem to see a problem with putting the two of them in the same vehicle. Mr. Barton is a professional spy, one of the best in the world, an expert in disappearing, in entering and leaving countries undetected. He is charged with attempted murder. He has no current employment, nor any known family ties. Of course he is considered a very high flight risk and bail has been denied. Ms. Maximoff’s connection to the incident in Johannesburg is under investigation due to Dr. Stark’s statements and within days of those charges being filed she has been accused of provoking an attempt on Dr. Stark’s life. We have been informed by several sources that the Avengers refuse to use the devices at their disposal to suppress Ms. Maximoff’s abilities while the truth of these, very serious, accusations is determined. She is not a U.S. citizen- For god’s sake! She has connections to a known terrorist organization. She’s not getting bail either.”

“You can’t just lock her up!” Rogers exclaimed.

“The concept of being denied bail pending a hearing predates the separation of the United States from England,” Everett replied. “You can hardly claim ignorance based on your special circumstances. And can I just ask: Why _aren’t_ you three concerned that Ms. Maximoff may be affecting your minds?”

“Wanda’s a good kid,” Rogers said.

“Not five minutes ago you told me that she might have _accidentally_ triggered Barton’s attack on Stark,” Everett exclaimed. “Aren’t you worried…”

“You can’t persecute Wanda for being afraid,” Rogers said sternly. “Tony’s attacking her, when she feels threatened it affects her control over her powers.”

“Dr. Stark is in surgery, he may die,” Everett exclaimed. “If he does Mr. Barton will be prosecuted for murder and Airman Wilson as an accessory to murder. And all you can say is it _might_ have been an accident with Ms. Maximoff’s powers?”

“Tony shouldn’t threaten her,” Rogers said stubbornly.

“Aren’t you even slightly afraid that she might _accidentally_ influence you to murder someone next?” Everett demanded.

“Clint was probably compromised by Loki’s use of the scepter on him during the 2012 Chitauri Invasion,” Natasha said calmly. “No one else should be so susceptible. Clint has retired, once this is all cleared up it won’t be a problem for us to ensure that he isn’t in Wanda’s vicinity anymore. Sam had no reason to suspect Clint would do anything like that, Clint wouldn’t normally.”

“And Tony Stark will be dead so Wanda won’t feel threatened anymore?!?” Everett exclaimed. “Until the next person who upsets her comes along?”

“Tony is out of surgery, his condition is reported as stable although he has yet to recover consciousness,” Vision announced with a look of relief.

“There, you see,” Romanoff said. “Nothing that can’t be undone.”

“Are you people all insane!?!” Everett demanded.

 

* * *

 

As Everett left Vision stepped through the wall of the police station to confront him. “Gah!!!” Everett exclaimed scrambling backwards and reaching for his gun.

“I apologize,” Vision said as he held up his hands placatingly. “I have been told it is unsettling when I do that.”

“Is there some reason you’re trying to give me a heart attack?” Everett snapped.

“I have been considering what you said,” Vision stated. “The problem is verification, is it not? I do not believe my mind has been influenced but how would I know if it were? It is my inclination to say that my nature would preclude external influence, however, it is my understanding that Thor cleansed the Mind Stone of the evil influences which gave rise to Ultron before it was made a part of me, therefore the Mind Stone has been influenced in the past and my supposition that it cannot be influenced is incorrect. Even so I still find myself resistant to the thought that my mind is not my own.”

Everett shuddered at the thought of someone going into his brain and changing how he thought. _‘It’s a basic violation of personhood and even Maximoff’s staunchest defenders can’t say she wouldn’t. According to them she’s too immature to know better than go off with strange terrorists who offer to experiment on her. I’m certainly glad she’s had a suppressor on every time I’ve been near her, she couldn’t have gotten to me.’_ He eyed Vision, “Maybe you’re more human than you look.”

“How so?” Vision asked.

“I think, all of us are pretty ‘resistant’ to the thought someone could have screwed with our minds,” Everett said. “Probably do half the work for her.”

“If you find a means to remove or test for influence I would like to volunteer for it,” Vision said. “You may feel free to contact me if there is anything I can do to assist with the problem of verification. It is, I believe, of utmost importance that we are able to determine what has been done.”

“So you want to know if your team is crazy or influenced too?” Everett asked.

“Oh that note, do you think Ms. Hill would object to being contacted by me?” Vision asked. “I would like to consult with her on acquiring lodging apart from the Avengers for the moment.”


	11. Too Much

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter 6 inserted.

Two days after the attack Tony made his way down to the Hulk’s room. Before he could knock on the frame of the open door Hulk bounded across the room. Tony set himself for a Hulk-hug but was disappointed when the behemoth pulled himself up short. 

Tony spread his arms and did a model-turn. “See Big Guy? All better,” he declared.

Hulk took that as permission to resume the aborted hug and promptly lifted Tony off the floor, squeezing him gently. Then, to Tony’s shock, he felt the Hulk shrinking until it was Bruce he was hugging, half supporting, as his science bro didn’t seem particularly steady on his feet.

“Tony, should you be out of bed?” Bruce fussed in a reflexive way.

Tony shrugged, “Why not? Dr. Cho’s not mad at _me_. Happy suggested it might be a good idea to have me back on my feet and in the tower before the big guy had too much time to brood about things so she came out and Voila! ...Clint’s just going to have to heal the old fashion way.”

Tony winced as soon as the words came out of his mouth and quickly added. “I’m sure she’d have said differently if it life and death or permanent damage. But the cradle is still in the initial round of human testing. She says she doesn’t trust Clint not to try to sue or, um, attack her if there are any unexpected side effects. Being an Avenger is a high risk occupation and I didn’t want anyone on the team hurting, or trying to fight injured- You know we all would. -if we didn’t have to. But Helen’s research is beyond cutting edge. Sure, you and I both went over her data and agreed it all looked great but you’ve got to take into consideration that I convinced you that Ultron was a good idea. We didn’t talk to the others about Helen’s cradle until Clint had a hole in his side. If I’d waited until there were aliens pouring through a hole in the sky again they’d have probably thought Ultron was a good idea too.”

“Tony, stop!” Bruce pled holding up a hand as if to ward off the flood of words. “What’s happening?” He begged. “Maximoff is an Avenger and she’s sending the team to attack us, you? Hulk comes and goes at will and I’ve got no say? People I barely know talk to Hulk like they’re you or Betty. How long have I been out Tony?”

“Three months,” Tony said simply then lunged to catch Bruce when his legs went out from under him. He man-handled Bruce back onto one of the oversized bean bags in Hulk’s room. “Hulk vanished for two months after the Battle of Novi Grad- We beat Ultron, saved around ninety-five percent of the city’s population. -Last month Hulk let me find him. He’s been staying at the Tower ever since. 

“Um- Lately we’ve been getting ready to testify against Witchy-Wanda. Hulk’s charging her with assault. If he wins South Africa will withdraw request- Well, honestly they don’t _want_ the Hulk extradited. So really they’ll stop demanding that the US do something about controlling the Hulk and ask that _Wanda_ be extradited instead, preferably in the collar that I designed to suppress her powers so Dr. Cho and the rest of the Avengers support staff could feel safe having her around while she helped the Avengers to make up for all the shit she pulled. Only Steve wouldn’t have it… We might have been right about her whammying him in Seoul but who really knows?”

“Please Tony, talk to me like I’m one of your board members and can’t follow anything you say,” Bruce begged as he rubbed his temples. “Hulk is testifying? Bringing legal charges against someone? People are letting him!? He’s bothering to talk enough to explain anything instead of just smashing his way out and running away?”

“Not to be rude or anything… But I think the running away is you,” Tony said frankly. 

Bruce winced.

“Not that it’s not a valid response sometimes,” Tony amended rapidly. “So anyway, the Inquisition- Sorry, they’re actually being really good about the whole thing. The UN inquest into Ultron and surrounding events really is looking for answers not a convenient scapegoat, unlike a certain Captain I could name.”

Bruce looked away guiltily and Tony felt bad for even tangentially bring up Bruce’s failure to stand with him against the team. 

“So the Inquiry was happening when Hulk came home with me- And this wasn’t my idea! He volunteered to tell them what happened at Johannesburg. So I brought in SI’s lawyers- And you’re going to like Jennifer Walters when you get to meet her, she’s been great.”

“Jen?” Bruce mumbled.

Tony kept talking over him, “So her strategy was Hulk brings charges against Wanda for attacking him. Whether Hulk attacked Johannesburg or Wanda attacked him causing him to go berserk in Johannesburg is an open question in the Inquest and the international community is willing to wait on the outcome of a lawsuit by a US citizen against someone currently residing in the US… Then, like I said, South Africa will go after whoever loses- 

“We’re not going to lose.” Tony plowed on, barely looking at Bruce. “This isn’t like proving Wanda turning up my fears about another invasion to eleven was a big fucking factor in Ultron. I mean admittedly, I don’t have the best history when it comes to lab safety. And I was treated for PTSD relating to the wormhole which, trust me I know, means I learned to cope with that trauma not that it isn’t still there. Maybe that damn Leviathan hanging up in List’s lab would have been enough to trigger a flashback even without Maleficent’s mind screw…” Tony dropped onto the bean bag next to Bruce. “I haven’t mentioned that I had a Scarlet-Bitch-MO vision right before finding the scepter. Because I can’t even prove she was there, only Fury knew she got me, not that he mentioned that to the team, as far as I know. I saw something in List’s lab and on the way to the farm, when you and the team talked about what she did to all of you, it sounded the same and we knew her quicksilver brother was there but- But it’s all circumstantial. Same for Clint, he says he’d never try to murder me but he did. Hill backed him up. She, very reassuringly, says if Clint had wanted to kill me I never would have seen it coming; An arrow through the brain when I sneak out of the UN for decent coffee or something. But you, we don’t have to prove she made you do anything specific or complicated, just that she did the equivalent of sneaking into a one of Wilson’s therapy sessions and setting off a string of firecrackers to see what would happen.”

“I’m sorry,” Bruce interrupted Tony’s nervous babbling. “I’m just- I just can’t comprehend this. Hulk talking.”

“Well, he’s never been around except when he’s being attacked,” Tony said. “Maybe you should give him a chance to be out without people shooting at him before writing him off as incapable of anything but violence… I know I’m not helping but I like both of you. Do you know Happy’s trying to recruit Hulk as my new bodyguard? It could be sort of fun, don’t you think? You could hang out for the science conferences and fun R&D stuff then switch out for my blowing shit up stuff, ‘cause you’re way too biological to get a proper kick out of that.” 

“I’ll- I’ll think about it,” Bruce sighed. “Of course I may not have a choice. I- since I woke up- In the past, I always felt like Hulk and I each had a hand on the wheel but this time it's like he had the keys and I was locked in the trunk. I don’t feel like I’ve got any control at all. Maybe I was always fooling myself, maybe Hulk was always had the keys.” 

Bruce’s face twisted.

“What?” Tony asked.

“Hulk says, _‘Took you long enough’_ ,” Bruce relaid, a panicky look in his eyes.

“Look at the positive side,” Tony said. “If he’s always been able to take control from you but he never did, except in the event of bullets, that's good right?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know, “Thor: Ragnarok” reveals Thor to be yet another lousy friend. As Bruce realized Thor doesn’t care about him (or Hulk really) he’s just using them.


	12. Trial Begins

“Are we ready?” Steve asked Wanda’s lawyer. As the sponsor for Wanda’s visa and as Captain America, Steve had been able swing more than a usual amount of involvement in the trial. A court room wasn’t his normal venue for a battle but they had Natasha on their side and Steve remembered the way she’d shut down all that nonsense with Congress after they’d exposed HYDRA’s plots. He was confident they’d prevail this time as well.

“I wish I had a better idea of Walter’s strategy,” the lawyer admitted. “Our defense basically amounts counting on the jury being sympathetic to Ms. Maximoff and mind control being impossible to prove.”

“Right, Stark is accusing Wanda of _assaulting_ the Hulk,” Natasha shook her head. “It’s a joke, just look at them.”

“That’s what worries me. Ms. Walters has scheduled the Hulk testify. You think the last thing she’d want is to put Wanda Maximoff and the Hulk side by side and then ask a jury to believe that _she_ attacked _him_.”

“It’s a trick, the Hulk isn’t going to testify,” Natasha assured the young lawyer. “He can barely string two words together and he’s not here anyway.”

The lawyer waved a file at her, “I’ve got his statement!”

“I told you it’s all some slight of hand that Tony’s pulling,” Natasha said forcefully. “The Hulk is NOT on Tony’s side. Bruce is in love with me.”

“I don’t know anything about that,” the lawyer said. “Maybe the Hulk, or Dr. Banner- Maybe _he’s_ not on Tony Stark’s side, but _Tony Stark_ is most definitely on the Hulk’s side. They have half a dozen expert witnesses lined up to testify about the effect Ms. Maximoff’s powers would have had on the Hulk’s mental state. We don’t have SI’s resources, I’ve got a couple experts who are willing to offer counter testimony based on video records of the Hulk but they won’t interview him. And I’ve had over a dozen psychologists interview Ms. Maximoff but none of them are going to help our case! According to them she’s dangerous, unstable, sociopathic… One of them told me after talking to her, that he’d _rather_ have been locked in a room with the Hulk. And I’m out of funds, I can’t afford to keep bring in experts who end up concluding that their professional reputation won’t let them support our case! Stark may be able to search the world over for someone with the right credentials who agrees with him but we don’t have those kinds of funds.”

“We have what’s right on our side,” Steve said sternly. “We don’t need anything else.”

“Maybe you don’t,” the lawyer muttered.

“Tony doesn’t have the Hulk,” Natasha reiterated. “When it comes time for Hulk to testify _something_ will happen, just watch, and he won’t be available. So what, Tony’s paid a bunch of experts to lie for him. All we have to do is expose his trick. Tony says he’s doing this for Bruce but this isn’t anything Bruce would want a part in. If we show the world that Tony’s house of cards will collapse. They’ll all see this farce is just thinly veiled shield to protect his own ego.”

The lawyer looked down at his files. “But this says _the Hulk_ is the one pressing charges,” he mumbled but didn’t press the point.

The next day Steve and Natasha were two of the first people in the courtroom. They took the seats directly behind the defendant's table to best support Wanda. Gradually the other seats in the audience filled in, Steve recognized quite a few faces from the Avengers press conferences. He stole a glance at Natasha but she didn’t seem surprised at or worried over the heavy press coverage.

Tony came in along with the SI lawyer, a tall woman with dark brown hair piled on top of her head in a no-nonsense bun. They split up at the bar, with Tony claiming the seat behind the plaintiff's table.

A few moments after Tony had taken his seat Wanda was escorted into the room, along with her lawyer, through a separate door that avoided taking her through the public areas of the courthouse. Wanda was wearing a simple navy skirt and a white blouse with a scoop neck that left the power suppression collar around her neck clearly visible. With a pang, Steve though she’d never looked younger or more alone. He turned and glared at Tony for putting her through all of this. Tony ignored Steve but caught Natasha’s eye and mouthed _‘Your work?’_ , his expression sardonic.

“All rise. The Criminal Court of New York City is now in session. The Honorable Judge Harold Stone presiding.”

While the jury was being sworn in Steve continued to frown disapprovingly at Tony, _‘He doesn’t feel even a shred of remorse for what he’s doing to Wanda.’_

“Your Honor, today’s case is the preliminary hearing in the matter of Mr. Hulk versus Ms. Wanda Maximoff,” the Bailiff reported.

The Judge nodded and turned to the Jury, “Ladies and Gentlemen of the Jury,” he said. “Today your duty will not be to determine the defendant, Wanda Maximoff's guilt or innocence but to determine if the plaintiff, Mr. Hulk has sufficient evidence to continue to trial. Do you have any questions about your role in today’s proceedings?”

The judge waited several moments then said, “Is the prosecution ready?”

Ms. Walters stood up, “Yes, Your Honor,” she said.

“Is the defense ready?”

Wanda’s lawyer stood, “Yes, Your Honor.”

“The plaintiff may present their case.”

Ms. Walters stepped up to podium and turned to address the judge and jury, “Your Honor, members of the jury, I’m certain the Counsel for the Defense will have a lot to say about Wanda Maximoff’s motives. About how, in 2002 when Ms. Maximoff was just ten years old shells fell on her home killing her parents and trapping her and her brother in the rubble for two days. How she grew up holding Tony Stark personally responsible for her parents’ death… And possibly for the political instability that has plagued her country for the last fifty years. I’m sure you’ll hear some pretty tale attempting to justify or at least explain why she and her brother joined the notorious terrorist organization known as HYDRA in 2013 and volunteered to have the experiments that resulted in the powers she currently possesses performed on them.

“Judging from the Affidavit of Support sworn by Steve Rogers to help Ms. Maximoff secure a visa to enable her to live in this country and work with the organization known as the Avengers I _don’t_ know if the defense will try to explain away or simply ignore Ms. Maximoff and her brother allying themselves with the entity calling itself Ultron, as that fact was omitted from the affidavit.

“I’m certain we all recognize that the deaths of Ms. Maximoff’s parents was a horrible tragedy and being trapped in the rubble of her family home as a child was traumatic for her and her brother. We all feel sympathy for the hardships Ms. Maximoff has experienced. But I need to ask you to set aside your sympathy for the child Ms. Maximoff was thirteen years ago because while the Counsel for the Defense can tell you a lot about the horrors of Ms. Maximoff’s childhood what the Defense cannot tell you is how her past justifies Ms. Maximoff’s assault on the mind of Dr. Banner and the Hulk in May of this year.

“We will show you evidence that, after the Avengers brought down the HYDRA faction responsible for Ms. Maximoff’s enhancements, Ms. Maximoff and her brother allied themselves with the entity calling itself Ultron. We will show that they went with Ultron to a salvage yard in South Africa ran by known Black Market Weapons seller Ulysses Klaus to procure the Vibranium Ultron used in his doomsday weapon. When the Avengers; Mssr. Steve Rogers, Clint Barton, Thor, Dr. Tony Stark and Ms. Natasha Romanoff with Dr. Bruce Banner holding Mr. Hulk in reserve; attempted to stop Ultron from taking the Vibranium we will show that Ms. Maximoff used the powers she gained through her association with HYDRA to attack the mind of Dr. Bruce Banner and of the Hulk. Through her actions she rendered the Hulk nothing more than a weapon which she used to enable Ultron’s escape with the Vibranium.

“We will show that Wanda Maximoff did these things of her own free will. Through her actions she subjected my client, Mr. Hulk, to his personal definition of hell. She did this with no regard for the effect of her actions on the people of the nearby city of Johannesburg. And she did it all to aid Ultron in his theft of one hundred kilograms of Vibranium which he then used to craft the doomsday device that caused the destruction of Novi Grad in Ms. Maximoff’s home country of Sokovia.

“The tragedy that claimed Ms. Maximoff’s parents as a child is indeed sad. But it does not justify, excuse or even explain her willingness to subject others to similar tragedies.”

Ms. Walters paused then added. “There is one more thing I would like to address before the trial proceeds further. In the normal course of events it is not only the plaintiff's right to be present in courtroom to argue their case, it is required. However, given Mr. Hulk’s particular enhancement my client and I deemed it appropriate to ask the Court and Jury’s permission before he appeared in the courtroom. Your Honor, my client can be present in the courtroom within an hour of receiving your blessing. We have already made modifications to his arrangement with the UN to enable him to appear here in person so that Ms. Maximoff’s right to confront her accuser is respected.”

While the jury exploded into a half dozen different exclamations Steve turned to Natasha, “What happened? Bruce wasn’t supposed to show up,” he hissed.


	13. Always Aware

“Of course, the main question has to be: Is it safe to have the Hulk here?” Judge Stone said.

“Mr. Hulk has been interviewed by a number of psychiatric experts, several of whom were willing to trust their own safety in his presence,” Jen said. “They or JCTC Director Ross, who has been handling the Hulk’s testimony for the Ultron Inquiry, could testify as to the Hulk’s behavior when he’s not being shot at or possibly under the influence of Ms. Maximoff’s powers.”

“Let me guess, you have them standing by ready to testify if I give the word?” Judge Stone asked.

“Naturally.”

“Your Honor,” Wanda’s lawyer objected. “This is prejudicial.”

“How so Mr. Crispen?” Judge Stone asked.

“We’re discussing having the Hulk sitting in here like he can be trusted not to use his enhanced strength trash the place but Ms. Maximoff has been forced to wear a collar that prevents her from using her powers. This implies that the Hulk can be trusted with his powers but my client cannot.”

Jen smiled sweetly at Crispen, “Do you have any experts ready to testify that Ms. Maximoff can be trusted to behave herself without the collar?”

Tony took one look at the expression on the other lawyers face and typed out a quick text to Happy, “Looks like we’ll be wanting Green Bean not the AV equipment. I’m betting an hour for the official word.”

Jen called one of her psychologists first. “Doctor, in your professional opinion would anyone in this courtroom be at risk if Mr. Hulk were present?” she asked bluntly once the expert’s credentials had been established.

“No,” the slight woman stated firmly. “I was initially approached to assess Mr. Hulk’s competency to offer testimony. Based on his limited language skills I used the same criteria that would be applied to a child witness: Is he capable of recalling events accurately. Can he communicate. Does he understand the difference between truth and lies and the importance of testifying truthfully.

“As I said Mr. Hulk’s language skills are limited. Until recently he has, almost always deferred to Dr. Banner when in situations where communication was necessary. With only rare exceptions, people don’t talk to him and he doesn’t talk to them. Mr. Hulk has poor grammar and a limited vocabulary. However observing him in conversation with Mr. Stark, who habitually litters his speech with pop culture references and scientific jargon, Mr. Hulk’s comprehension is well above what would be suggested by his own use of language. When he chooses to, he can communicate. Perhaps more to the point of Ms. Walter’s question, Mr. Hulk is not going to lose his temper if the counselors ask him confusing or confrontational questions. In my experience he is more likely to refuse to acknowledge a question he doesn’t want to answer rather than lashing out.

“Mr. Hulk’s mental age is difficult to assess. Based on my observations he is capable of abstract reasoning, which puts him in the Piaget’s fourth stage of development. He understands right and wrong, truth and lies and the moral imperative to testify truthfully. While Dr. Banner has reported blackouts while Mr. Hulk is ‘out’, Mr. Hulk claims that he is aware of everything that happens even while Dr. Banner is in control-”

Sitting on the other side of the bar, Tony remembered one of Dr. Kelso’s earlier interview with Hulk.

 

_“So Doc, I’m going to be here but it’s really only for your peace of mind,” Tony explained, his helmet tucked under his arm as the elevator dropped toward the Hulk’s level. “Usually I’d be in jeans to hang out with him but Green Bean knows the plan and he’s not going to be offended by my choice of suits.”_

_“And how often do you ‘hang out’?” Dr. Kelso asked._

_“Now that it’s just the two of us in the Tower? Pretty much every day,” Tony said. “Less when Brucey was in a better mood, it’s not that I wouldn’t have loved to spend time with Green Bean but there aren’t many people I can science with on Bruce’s level.”_

_“So the only reason you didn’t spend more time with Hulk in the past was because you also like spending time with Dr. Banner?” Dr. Kelso probed sceptically._

_“Well, Brucey doesn’t, didn’t exactly like turning over the driver’s wheel,” Tony said. Then he reluctantly admitted, “And Hulk might have made the Avengers nervous.” Before Dr. Kelso could say anything Tony added, “S.H.I.E.L.D. gave him a bad review and they tend to put too much weight on S.H.I.E.L.D.’s opinions. But me? I’m not so high on S.H.I.E.L.D.’s list of favorite people myself. Just because they didn’t let me see their plans for Tony Stark containment if I proved too dangerous or too hard to control doesn’t mean that they don’t exist.”_

_“You think S.H.I.E.L.D. had plans to…”_

_Tony grinned wryly, “They had Captain America on a threat watchlist, judge from that if I’m being paranoid or not. It’s what S.H.I.E.L.D. does- Did? Does? They protect the public from threats they don’t feel the public is equipped to know about. Enhanced people, advanced tech, if S.H.I.E.L.D. feels it’s a threat only S.H.I.E.L.D. is qualified to handle, they handle it. And until the Chitauri Invasion and all hell broke lose you didn’t even know they existed. Classic MIB’s really. They had a containment cell ready and waiting for Hulk, we tossed Loki in it. With my armor I can go toe-to-toe with the likes of Thor or Hulk. They sent a spy to infiltrate my company and evaluate me. Do I think they were evaluating me as a threat as well as a possible asset? Of course I do.”_

_The elevator doors opened and Tony led the way into the open, oversized room. Hulk was waiting for them, sitting on a huge purple bean bag. He waved but didn’t get up, “HULK NO SCARE LITTLE DOCTOR.”_

_Dr. Kelso thought for a moment, “You didn’t stand up to greet me because you didn’t want to frighten me?”_

_Hulk nodded. “HULK BIG, DOCTOR LITTLE.”_

_“Thank you for the courtesy,” Dr. Kelso replied. She glanced around then perched on the edge of a second beanbag._

_Tony wandered a bit further into the room before ending up standing by the wall, closer to Hulk than Kelso but far enough away to give the illusion of not listening in on their conversation._

_“Do you know why I’m here?” Dr. Kelso asked._

_“LITTLE DOCTOR SAY IF HULK CAN TELL ABOUT…” The Hulk scowled as he searched for words. “ABOUT BAD SMASHING.” His expression turned sad. “NO ONE TRY HURT HULK. HULK_ THOUGHT _BAD PEOPLE THERE. HULK WRONG.”_

_Dr. Kelso nodded, “Yes, my job is to check that you can remember what happened and that you can tell the court what happened truthfully.”_

_Hulk snorted. “HULK NO LIE. BANNER LIES.”_

_“Why does Dr. Banner lie?” Dr. Kelso asked._

_“SCARED. HULK STRONG. HULK NOT SCARED.”_

_“Dr. Banner lies to protect himself?” Dr. Kelso checked. Hulk grunted in assent. “But you don’t lie because you don’t need to protect yourself?”_

_Hulk nodded. “HULK REMEMBER EVERYTHING.” He looked straight at Tony. “EVEN WHEN BANNER PLAY-SLEEPS.”_

_“Play-sleep? Bruce was faking static at me?” Tony asked with a grimace._

_“TINMAN NO MAKE GLOWWORM BAD. GLOWWORM JUST BAD, CRAZY.”_

_“You know, I honestly don’t know what’s worse: Me pouring my heart out and it’s so boring it puts him to sleep. Or him faking sleep because dealing with my emotions is such a bother,” Tony said._

_Hulk pushed himself out of the beanbag and went to Tony. Even with Tony in the armor Hulk towered over him. Hulk put his hands on Tony’s shoulders and leaned down until their foreheads touched. “TINMAN NO BOTHER,” he stated. “HULK WANT SMASH GLOWWORM. BUT HEELS SMASH GLOWWORM. GOOD HEELS.”_

_Tony chuckled, “Yeah, yeah you should have seen her. She was great.”_

_“TINMAN TELLS, HULK WANT OUT, BANNER NO WANT HULK OUT.”_

_“So you guys were having a fight while I was talking?”_

_“HULK POKE. HULK NOT MAKE STUPID BANNER.” Hulk bumped foreheads again. “HULK SORRY.”_

_“Nah, it’s okay,” Tony said leaning into the larger hero._

 

“Yes, Mr. Hulk is capable of doing massive amounts of damage, due to his strength and size,” Dr. Kelso declared. “But he is no more likely to respond violently than any other person in this room. If I walked up and punched you, odds are good that you would try to hit me back. Hulk would probably laugh if I punched him; because yes, he has a sense of humor. But if I tried to shoot him. Well, I still wouldn’t be much of a threat but we swat mosquitoes don’t we?”

“Dr. Kelso, what if the jury finds that Ms. Maximoff was not responsible for the Hulk going berserk in Johannesburg?” Jen asked.

“If the evidence indicates that Ms. Maximoff was not the source of the perceived threat then I believe the next logical course of action would be to determine what was causing the perception,” the psychologist replied. “All the ‘You wouldn’t like him when he’s angry’ talk gives the impression that the Hulk is some sort of superpowered tantrum, he’s nothing of the sort. The Hulk doesn’t lash out because he’s mad, he retaliates against threats. Further, Hulk discriminates between types of threats. In incidents where baseline military forces cornered and attacked Hulk he defended himself, he fought until he had cleared a path to escape and then he fled. Against the Abomination, the Chitauri and in battles against HYDRA where the Avengers requested his aid, Hulk fought until his enemies were defeated. He differentiates between threats to be avoided and threats to be stopped. In Johannesburg the threat Hulk was responding to existed only within his mind, but it still existed.”


	14. We’re Screwed

“The Hulk’s a pain in my ass,” Everett declared, unprompted, as soon as he’d been sworn in.

_“There are going to be rules,” Everett declared glaring up, and up, at the Hulk. “You say Johannesburg wasn’t your fault but you don’t get to just smash a city and walk around like nothing happened while we try to sort out why.”_

_He tried not to get distracted by stray thoughts like: Where had Stark found an ‘I heart NYC’ tee-shirt in that size? Was it a good sign? A bad sign? Inappropriate? Everett had seen the footage of the 2010 Senate Committee and the 2014 Congressional Hearing and he wasn’t about to be the next official to wake up with Avengers boot prints all over his back._

_Johannesburg, Seoul, Sokovia… They’d gone too far. The days of Enhanced, so-called, heroes doing whatever they pleased and answering to no one were quickly coming to an end. The Inquiry was just the beginning. Once all the facts were known there were going to be measures taken. Good intentions weren’t enough, the world wasn’t going to be satisfied without solid evidence that the Avengers were implementing changes to ensure something like this latest disaster couldn’t happen again._

_It hadn’t been reassuring seeing Stark was the only one to come forward, the only Avenger even vaguely involved in the process of sort out how Ultron happened, how it could have been prevented. Stark falling on his sword might satisfy the news pundits and the general public but as a professional, Everett knew that finding a person to blame didn’t prevent reoccurance. It was only fixing systems that kept things from happening again; If one person made the mistake it was only a matter of time until someone else did the same thing unless safeguards were put in place._

_But now with a second Avenger, the last one anyone would have expected, stepping forward there was the start of a light at the end of the tunnel._

_Only Everett had no intention of letting things get off on the wrong foot. There was not going to be any “You're not gonna put any of us in a prison. You know why? ...Because you need us.” Not this time. The Avengers might have powers but they were citizens of the Earth like any other and Everett refused to be intimidated by the raw power standing in front of him. He poked the Hulk’s chest as he made his points. “You ran after killing two U.S. soldiers and injuring your? Banner’s fiancee. You ran after Harlem. You ran after Johannesburg- Yes, you’re here now, but technically you’ve been a fugitive for over a decade.”_

_“Technically, in 2012, Brucey and Hulk were both cleared of responsibility for all damages attributed to the Hulk prior to Johannesburg,” Stark interjected gleefully. “The military over-reacted to a situation created by General Thaddeus Ross’ poorly thought out interference in Dr. Banner’s experiments. And then General Ross hounded Hulk across three continents, instigating more incidents… Director Ross.”_

_“No relation,” Everett said reflexively._

_“SO?” Hulk asked. “BETTY RELATION. HULK_ LIKE _BETTY.”_

_“Fine,” Everett sighed. “The point still stands, you ran from 2005 until 2012 instead of submitting to the court systems. You’re here now and I do appreciate it, I really do, but I don’t have much reason to believe you won’t take off the moment things get uncomfortable. On top of that, right now all we have is your word about Johannesburg. People will freak out if they see you wandering around New York after that. Even if you don’t do anything it could still lead to injuries. While the investigation into Johannesburg is ongoing you’re going to have to be on some sort of house arrest.”_

_“PFFTH.” Hulk shrugged disinterestedly._

_“You are going to stay here,” Everett declared. “You will not set one foot out of this building. Furthermore, you will remain on this level or in your personal quarters. You will not enter the public or business levels of the Tower for any reason. And you’ll wear an ankle bracelet so that I can see you’re abiding by these restrictions… Assuming I can find one that fits.”_

_“FUSSY,” Hulk declared returning Everett’s favor and tapping him on the chest with one large finger._

_“I am not fussy,” Everett protested as he staggered backwards. “I am doing my best to follow procedure in a situation that defies procedure. You should be in custody after Johannesburg but I know damn well what it looks like when you resist arrest.”_

_“General Thunderbutt wasn’t trying to arrest him,” Stark interrupted. “He was trying to reclaim what he considered ‘government property’, in clear disregard of the thirteenth and fourteenth Amendments to the Constitution. Ross doesn’t get to decide who counts as a person.”_

_“No, he doesn’t,” Everett agreed. “But for your own sakes I’d get it in writing that Enhanced is still human.”_

“The only authority I can exert over Hulk is what he allows,” Everett continued. “I think the whole world knows what would happen if he decided to go on a walkabout and I tried to get in his way. I’m not comfortable with that.

“But thus far he’s abided by the restrictions I placed on him. Even when he clearly didn’t want to his word held him. Hulk has been cleared of all charges pertaining to General Ross’ pursuit of him between 2005 and 2012, there were no accusations of inappropriate behavior between 2012 and Johannesburg in 2015. In my opinion there’s no good reason to consider Johannesburg anything other than temporary insanity.” Everett nodded towards Ms. Maximoff, “And we’re all here to determine if she’s the cause of that insanity. Me? I’m more comfortable trusting him, he doesn’t have a history of thinking it was a good idea to join a notorious terrorist organization.”

“Objection: Prejudicial,” Maximoff’s lawyer cried.

“Why?” Judge Stone asked. “It’s not like you’re contesting that she and her brother got their powers by volunteering with HYDRA.”

“We didn’t know they were HYDRA,” Maximoff whispered loudly to her lawyer.

“We’re screwed,” Natasha muttered to Steve as she eyed the jury, none of whom looked particularly impressed with Wanda’s outburst. “We have to get to Tony, convince him to make this go away. He got the chance to make up for his mistakes, doesn’t Wanda deserve the same? Especially from him?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hulk should make to the court house next time... And I'm trying to work in a flashback to Pepper's first meeting with the Hulk.


	15. Sides Chosen

“Tony!” Natasha called, hurrying to catch up with him as he left the courtroom during the recess called after Judge Stone ruled that the Hulk should be present for the proceedings.

“I really have nothing to say to you,” Tony said flatly

“I just wanted to tell you how relieved I was to see you weren’t really hurt in Clint’s attack,” Natasha said. “That Ross made it sound like you were dying.”

“So you admit that Clint attacked me?” Tony asked almost sounding surprised. “Is he the next one to go under the bus for Maleficent?”

Natasha flinched. “We’re not throwing anyone under a bus,” she insisted.

Tony’s eyes narrowed. “You know, Nat, most of the time, even when I know you’re lying through your pretty little teeth, I still _want_ to believe you,” he commented.

“Tony,” Steve said sternly. “Look at you, you’re fine. It was just a misunderstanding that you’re blowing completely out of proportion. Clint has a temper on him and… well… We all know you’re not easy an easy man to get along with. Wanda’s like a daughter to Clint and the way you’re going after her. What did you expect to happen?”

“I think the two of you need to seriously consider the possibility that you’re being mind controlled,” Tony replied.

“How could we be,” Natasha asked, recovering her footing. “When you’ve got Wanda locked in a collar like she’s some sort of animal.”

“I don’t know,” Tony admitted.

“Then maybe you’d better stop throwing out accusations you can’t back up,” Steve said. “Isn’t the real question what sort of hold do you have over Bruce?”

“You have to know this isn’t what he wants,” Natasha added. “To be dragged in front of all these people. To be made a spectacle of. You know he’d be happier just disappearing.”

“That’s not what he says,” Tony said dryly.

“This is why we can’t trust you,” Steve said. “That doesn’t sound like Bruce at all. But then you did convince him to go along with Ultron. When you’re in the picture Bruce doesn’t seem to have any say at all in what he does.”

“Bruce is a gentle soul,” Natasha said sadly. “He’d never want to go after a poor kid like Wanda, she’s already suffered so much. The places he’s lived in, he’s seen, up close and personal, the sort of devastation your weapons leave behind.”

“I’m going to explain this to class just once, as clearly as possible,” Tony said. “There are sides here. Wanda Maximoff’s side and Bruce’s side. There’s no possible way to shield both of them, one or the other _is_ going to take the fall for Johannesburg. You come at me like you’re Bruce’s friend and looking out for his interests because I can’t be trusted. And you’re going to defend Wanda because she deserves it. Well you can’t have it both ways. You can’t look out for both of them.

“Now me? I’m going to defend Hulk and Bruce’s roll in Johannesburg, their lack of responsibility for Johannesburg, in every way that I can. Not just because they’re my friends but because that is the TRUTH of what happened. WANDA went into Bruce’s mind with her dirty, little HYDRA-gifted powers. She attacked him, in a way that even the Hulk couldn’t protect him against. Johannesburg happened because of that, because of Wanda’s malicious attack on Bruce. He never wanted to hurt anyone, HULK never wanted to hurt anyone but because of Wanda they did and they have to live with that now. They deserve to have the world know that it wasn’t their by choice that those people in Johannesburg got hurt.”

For a moment Steve looked like he was choking.

“It’s not like that,” Natasha protested.

“And don’t forget about Clint,” Tony continued remorselessly. “If Wanda didn’t mind control him then he tried to murder me. It’s that simple. Cho’s tech might have erased the wound but it doesn’t change that he came within in millimeters of killing me. I was in the OR for eleven hours of surgery to keep me alive long enough for Cho to perform her miracle! Now, I’m willing to believe that it wasn’t Clint’s choice, because there’s been a lot of that going around since Witchy-Wanda walked into our lives, but I won’t be in the same room with him because I don’t KNOW that seeing me won’t trigger him again.”

“Tony-“

“Bruce. And Clint. And the truth… Or Wanda. That’s the choice you’ve got to make and I don’t know why it’s even a debate,” Tony said as he turned to walk away. “Unless she’s compromised your minds.”

“Tony,” Steve caught Tony’s shoulder.

Huge green hands lifted Steve off the floor and spun him around so that the Hulk was between Steve and Tony.

Steve and Natasha’s jaws dropped. It was the Hulk, but the Hulk wearing a suit, the slacks, jacket and vest a shade of purple just short of black with a lavender shirt and even a tie, darker than the shirt but lighter than the jacket. The Hulk was wearing shoes, dress shoes. The whole ensemble was impeccably fitted, Steve’s shoulders looked more likely to rip out than Hulk’s. A couple yards behind the Hulk, Pepper, Rhodes and Happy were all glaring at Steve. Pepper’s hand was still raised, as if it had been resting on Hulk’s elbow before he’d rushed ahead to rescue Tony.

“NO,” Hulk rumbled as he gave Steve a stern look.

Tony sidestepped Natasha, joining the Hulk even as Pepper, Rhodes and Happy caught up. Even though the Hulk towered over the other four, the five of them looked well matched. Rhodes in his dress uniform. Pepper in her white power suit. Tony one of his three piece suits with a red and gold tie. Happy less flashy than the others but also well dressed and professional in his appearance. The five of them presented a solid uniform front as they glared at Natasha and Steve.

With his friends closing ranks around him Tony’s shoulders lost the defensive tension they’d had. “Steve, Nat think carefully about who and what you’re loyal to,” he said coolly in a voice that carried to the growing crowd of gawkers. “And if it’s the HYDRA witch? Think long and hard about why you’re suddenly so loyal to woman who fighting with our enemy only a few months back.”

“Wanda’s changed,” Natasha said quickly. “She’s just a kid who has been through way too much. She made mistakes, I don’t deny it, but so did you: When your missiles killed her parents. When your robot killed her brother. She’s changed, all she’s asking is the chance to make-up for her past.”

“Has she really?” Tony asked sardonically. “Because my latest round of surgery says she’s the same vengeance crazed bitch who sent Hulk into a berserker rage so that Ultron could get away with everything he needed to wipe out the human race.”

“Tony, Wanda fought beside us to stop Ultron,” Steve said. “Her brother died stopping your monster.”

“Yeah, well, wiping out the human race was going to have repercussions for them now wasn’t it?” Tony shot back. “If Wanda really repents her past wouldn’t she be the first person to step forward and take responsibility for what she did? To Johannesburg? To Hulk? To Bruce?”

“To you?” Natasha interjected. “Because that’s what this is really about isn’t it, Tony? But Wanda didn’t make you create Ultron. Her powers just don’t work like that. Steve and I have first hand experience in what her powers are like. She doesn’t _make_ anyone do anything.”

“In other words, Clint’s an attempted murderer,” Tony said. “Is that what you’re saying Nat?”

“That’s not what I said,” Natasha protested.

“Well you can’t have it both ways,” Tony rebuked her. “ _Either_ Wanda’s powers can affect behavior in the people she uses them on, or they can’t. _Either_ Clint up and put a shard of ceramic three inches into my chest of his own accord or someone got into his head and _made_ him do it. How many people with the power to go into someone else’s head want me dead and had access to Clint two weeks ago? Why are you so determined to protect her Nat?”

“BANNER SAY NO THUMP HEADS,” Hulk interjected virtuously. “MAYBE KNOCK WITCH OUT. MAYBE SCRAMBLE BRAINS. NO TELL, BANNER SAYS. HULK NOT RED OR SPANGLES. HULK… HULK WANT KNOW.”

“Right,” Tony said. He took Hulk’s arm and turned them back towards the courtroom. “That’s why we’re here isn’t it? To see if there’s proof that Wanda was behind Johannesburg. So we know and so the world knows: The whole story of what really happened.”


	16. OMAKE(over)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This whole chapter is a flashback. I wanted Natasha and Steve’s reaction to the end result before the process.

**Shortly after Tony calls in SI’s Legal Team**

The Hulk glanced up at the sound of the elevator slowing to a stop on his level. “Tony?” a woman’s voice called.

 _“Let me up!”_ Banner projected urgently. _“That’s Pepper, she doesn’t like Avengers stuff.”_

“Probably just needs a signature,” Tinman said setting his tablet aside. He waved for Hulk to stay put. “Only take a moment.”

Hulk frowned. He never interacted with Heels himself but he’d watched her interact with Banner. Even after they’d finished fixing what Glowworm had done to her she still stopped by to talk with Banner about his science sometimes. And she wasn’t one of the ones who kept furniture between herself and Banner while they talked either. “HULK SAY HI,” he decided.

“Yeah, sure,” Tinman said unenthusiastically. “No hugging. She’s my girl.” He grimaced, “Sort of.”

Hulk patted Tinman on the back reassuringly.

Heels was standing in the open elevator but when she saw Hulk trailing behind Tinman she stepped out onto the floor and smiled politely. She smelled like ozone and Hulk wondered if her fear had smelled like lightning before Glowworm had messed with her. He noted that she wasn’t as good as Tinman at smelling like one thing while projecting another. “Hulk, it’s good to see you,” Heels said. She frowned at Tinman, “I heard from Happy that you want to testify in the inquiry about Ultron, specifically about Johannesburg?”

“YES,” Hulk said. “HULK DO, NOT TINMAN. HULK TELL.”

“That’s great,” Heels’ voice warmed at she said it. “There’s a lot we need to get started on. After S.H.I.E.L.D. fell they put Maria Hill through the wringer and things were less tense then than they are now. We need to present this right.”

“Jen Walters from Legal jumped on it when I asked around,” Tinman said. “You hired her specifically for Iron Man related issues didn’t you, Pep? I think I must be stressing her out or something that she was that eager to take on a new client. And I’ve got my tailor coming back to add a suit to Hulk’s wardrobe. We’ll get you fitted out properly Big Guy.”

Heels nodded to herself, “I’ll find a cobbler.”

Hulk made a sour expression, “HULK HATE SHOES.”

“A suit and bare feet looks ridiculous,” Heels replied with conviction.

“STUPID CLOTHES, HULK LOOK STUPID.”

“I’ll make sure you don’t,” Heels said. “You’re right about how things like that could look stupid but mostly it’s because they don’t fit properly. And shoes don’t hurt if you’re not growing through them. Even these don’t hurt if I make sure they support me properly,” She said, tilting one foot to the side to display red soles and a heel reminiscent of a dagger.

Hulk snorted.

“I’m with him,” Tinman said.

“Will you try this?” Heels asked. “Dressing properly sends a good message.”

Tinman grimaced, “She’s got a point.”

Hulk thought about it for a few moments, “HULK TRY.”

“Let’s make it a couple suits,” Heels said. “Dressing appropriately is a good message but looking comfortable with it sends a better one.” 

* * *

 

Heels sat at a table she and Hulk had set up on the Tower’s balcony, practicing feeling natural in a suit. Heels had a plate of finger sandwiches at her elbow. Hulk had a stack of subway footlong on his side of the table, the ratio of sandwich to fingers was approximately the same.

“A stylist?” Heels suggested,eying Hulk’s hair critically.

Hulk wrinkled his nose. But he also curled his toes inside his new shoes and admitted they weren’t THAT bad. _‘Haircut stupid,’_ he thought but instead of saying it he changed the subject.

“TINMAN FIX,” Hulk gestured toward the Avengers’ common level.

“No on the hair cut?” Heels remarked. She glanced back toward the patio door. “I thought Tony was just going to fix up the battle damage but he’s really gutting the whole level. Exorcising a demons I hope.”

Hulk grunted in assent. If anyone knew about the therapeutic benefits of smashing it was him. And when repairing the damage left untouched for so long after the first fight against Ultron had suddenly turned into Tinman kicking a hole in the wall then going to his lab for a sledge hammer to do a proper job of destroying the Avengers’ space in the his Tower… Well Hulk knew better than to offer to help- or to leave.

“I’m glad you came back,” Heels said. “Tony arranged it so that none of us even suspected that he was pushing us away again. He’s been more himself with you and Bruce here.”

 _“Maybe Pepper only minds the Avengers when they get Tony in a fight,”_ Banner projected.

 _“Heels like- Tony -But Tinman is Tinman,”_ Hulk grumbled back discontentedly.

Banner was unhelpfully silent on the matter of whether or not Heels would hurt his Tinman.

“How have things been going with Ms. Walters and Dr. Kelso?” Heels asked unaware of the conversation going on inside Hulk’s mind.

Hulk shrugged. “JEN NICE. LITTLE DOCTOR NICE. TALK NOT NICE.”

Tinman walked outside wearing jeans and a flannel shirt, plaster dust in his hair. “Having a nice tea?” he asked as he helped himself to one of Hulk’s sandwiches.

Hulk growled playfully.

Tinman smirked. “Possession is nine-tenths,” he said taking a big bite as he dropped into the nearest chair.

Heels cleared her throat pointedly.

“Yeah, yeah, wash up before coming to the table,” Tinman laughed. “See you two in a couple.”

Heels smiled softly as she watched him walk away, “He’s much better with you here.”


	17. First Witness

“We were following a lead: Ulysses Klaue, a black market arms dealer working off the coast of South Africa. We found Ultron and the Maximoff twins there shopping for Vibranium,” Clint testified. His arm was still in a cast and his bruises from the confrontation in the Tower had reached the colorful stage where dark purple had just begun to give way to the healing green. “Bruce stayed back on the Quinjet waiting for a Code Green. Natasha and I were haunting the shadows while Steve, Tony and Thor did the confrontation thing.

“Thor tried playing peacemaker but Ultron wasn’t interested. Steve reached out to the twins, right from the start he was convinced they weren’t really all that bad. After all she’s just a scared kid…” Clint shivered as he heard the words coming out of his mouth. “A kid with mind control powers and no scruples about using them,” he reminded himself. “They had a hate on for Stark and weren’t interested in what Steve was selling. Tony traded some barbs with Ultron, it looked like he’d got under Ultron’s skin and the two of them went at it. While Tony fought the main body, the rest of us took Ultron’s other robots and the twins. Klaue’s men got involved as well; they were pretty indiscriminate about who they pointed their guns at.

“Then Thor relaid a warning, told us to watch out because Wanda had tried to warp his mind. He said something about how being Asgardian let him fight her off. I found him staggering around in a daze like everyone else… So I guess he overestimated himself.

“Wanda tried to sneak up on me. I planted an tasar arrow on her forehead but before I could follow up her brother knocked me through a window and sped off with her. The next thing I know, Hulk’s gone berserk and Tony’s calling for a Lullabye but there’s nothing I can do to help him. Wanda took down every member of the team: Thor, Captain America, Black Widow… It doesn’t take a genius to figure out she got to Bruce too.”

“Objection: Speculation.”

“Sustained, the jury will disregard Mr. Barton’s last statement,” Judge Stone said. “Mr. Barton, please remember you can only testify to things you witnessed.”

“Mr. Barton, what effect did the Hulk going berserk have?” Jen asked.

“It allowed Ultron to escape with the Vibranium,” Clint said. “Wanda’s mental attacks took out Thor, Steve and Natasha and even if I’d been in the right place to help there wasn’t much I could have done against a berserk Hulk. Hulk was an imminent threat to Johannesburg, Tony had to let the Vibranium shipment go to deal with him.”

“No further questions.”

“Does the defence wish to cross-examine this witness?” Judge Stone asked.

Wanda’s lawyer stood, “Yes your honor.” He turned to Clint. “Mr. Barton, you are currently being held pending trial for the attempted murder of Tony Stark, is that correct?”

“Yes,” Clint answered, his voice tight.

“And your primary defense has been to claim that my client, Ms. Maximoff, made you do it?”

“Not a kid, just like Loki,” Clint whispered to himself.

“Mr. Barton could you please answer the question,” Crispen said sharply

“Yes,” Clint said opening his eyes to glare at Wanda. “I believe she mind controlled me last month just like she did to Hulk in Johannesburg.”

“But you didn’t see Ms. Maximoff use her powers on any of the Avengers.?”

“Thor reported that she attacked him by warping his mind,” Clint replied. “I found Natasha and Steve both in the same state as Thor: Mentally confused, babbling about other places as if they thought they were there.”

“But you didn’t see her attack them.”

“No.”

“And Mr. Hulk was not confused-”

“I don’t know about that,” Clint broke in. “I don’t know what any of them saw, beyond what Natasha told me later. But if Maximoff shoved Hulk into a memory of being in danger, if that’s how she confused his sense of reality, then his actions make a lot more sense.”

Crispen grimaced but didn’t press the question.

“To summarize: You did not see Ms. Maximoff attack any of your teammates.”

“Right, I only saw her try to attack me,” Clint replied. “Thor told us she’d attacked him then, Bruce, Steve and Natasha all confirmed later that Wanda’s power signature was the last thing they saw before things went crazy.”

“And your defense for the attempted murder of Tony Stark rests on proving that Ms. Maximoff mind controlled you.”

“That’s what I believe happened,” Clint stated.

“No further questions,” Crispen sighed.

“Counsel, do you wish to redirect?” Judge Stone asked Jen.

“Yes your honor.” Jen stood up. “Mr. Barton, what evidence did you see in Johannesburg that convinced you that Wanda and Pietro Maximoff were working with Ultron?”

“When I first infiltrated Klaue’s base the the twins were trying to negotiate the purchase of a large quantity of Vibranium from Klaue. He asked to speak to the man in charge and Ultron joined the negotiation. The twins deferred to him.”

“Ultron was in Johannesburg to acquire the Vibranium in Klaue’s possession?”

“Yes.”

“And the Maximoff twins used the powers they gained from their association with HYDRA to fight against the Avengers to aid Ultron during the battle that followed?”

“Yes.”

“How did Mr. Hulk being sent into a berserker state aid Ultron’s efforts to obtain the Vibranium?”

“If Tony hadn’t had to deal with Hulk, odds were pretty good that he could have brought down the transport Ultron was using to steal the Vibranium.”

“No further questions, your honor.”

* * *

 

Tinman threw himself down on one of the bean bag’s in Hulk’s room with a stack of folders under his arm and started scanning through them, muttering under his breath at people who sent him paper, “Paper of all things.” After a few minutes Hulk wandered over and peered over his shoulder.

“I didn’t hack Clint’s medical files,” Tinman said defensively. “He authorized my access to the data, just in case I can figure out a way to detect mind control. Can you believe S.H.I.E.L.D. didn’t do ANY scans on their guys after Loki? An extended interrogation under the special S.H.I.E.L.D. secret sauce truth serum to make sure they had no more ‘Glorious Purpose’ urges then back to work. I know it’s magic and who knows with magic, but it affected the brain and we can measure the brain so why didn’t we? Clint’s game for PET scans, EEG’s MRI’s, whatever I can think of- Actually, I’m thinking of a little intellectual property theft, Killian won’t mind seeing as how he’s dead. When he was making his pitch to Pepper, he showed her a live feed, fully immersive 3D image of the activity in his brain. I’d like to have that kind of look at what’s happening in Clint’s head, remote of course, since I’m probably the trigger for his homicidal urges- Not that I’m knocking your ability to knock bad thoughts out of a guy’s head. It was probably Maya’s idea anyway and-”

Hulk got tired of waiting for Tinman to take a breathe and put a hand over his mouth. “HULK NOT BLAME.” he pointed out. “S.H.I.E.L.D. STUPID…” He trailed off as he considered the rest of what Tony had been saying.

_“My area,”_ Banner projected.

Hulk considered arguing or just not allowing Banner to take over then sighed deeply. He patted Tinman’s head. “BYE.”

“What? Where are you going?” Ti- Tony asked in alarm. Then he relaxed as the Hulk began to shrink. “Oh. Hi Bruce. Need a belt?”

Bruce sighed as he grabbed for the pants sliding off his hips as he shrank. “Still better than waking up god knows where butt naked.” He headed over to a small chest of drawers and quickly traded the Hulk’s clothes for his own. “Hand over the files, I’m the one with the bio in their physics afterall.”

“Sacrilege,” Tony replied. “Both in coffee and in physics I’m a purist.”

“I’ve seen you dumping sugar in your coffee. Now hand over the files and go get Killian’s device working again,” Bruce ordered, smiling. “It sounds like an advanced EEG and you’re right, it’s probably our best bet for noticing anything ongoing.”

“And we’ve got to hope there’s something ongoing because…” Tony sighed. “Well, I don’t like any other explanation for Rogers and Romanoff’s little love-affair with Witchy.”

Bruce looked down, “Maybe the way they’ve been bending over backwards to protect Maximoff requires some explanation. But… Well, would she really have tried to make Natasha her protector in Johannesburg? Or would Wanda have just wanted to disable her?”

“Yeah?” Tony asked cautiously.

“I don’t think Wanda Maximoff has anything to do with Natasha shoving me off a cliff,” Bruce said with a pained smile.

“Hell. Yeah, I’m sorry. I was hoping it was just me they naturally hated.”

“It’s not your fault,” Bruce said. “You and Betty are actually two of the very few exceptions I have to grant Hulk. Although two people in decades who don’t make me regret letting them in… I think I’m winning the debate but Hulk’s not really a proponent of data,”

“Decades, Brucey?” Tony asked, eyes wide with shock.

“Oops,” Bruce replied with his gentle, ironic smile. “I generally don’t mention that.”

“Hulk existed before your accident?” Tony asked.

“I didn’t call him Hulk back then,” Bruce admitted. “That would have been ridiculous, he was so small then.”


	18. What? How? Who?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I wanted the cliffhanger- A hard stop to match Tony going blue screen for a moment. But I didn't want to leave it dangling for long.

For a moment Tony could only think, _‘This must be how my computer feels when it goes blue screen.’_ Followed by the absolute certainty, _‘I’m going to fuck this up.’_

“Would you kill me if I somehow managed to trip, hit my head and knock myself unconscious in the next fifteen seconds?” He heard himself asking. “Because I am... So not equipped to deal with that.”

Bruce chuckled, “Can’t say it wouldn’t serve me right. And it’s okay, I just felt like telling you. But I should warn you that the Other Guy takes exception to you even joking about self-harm.”

“Because you-“ Tony cut himself off. _‘Need a better brain to mouth filter.’_

“Because he likes you,” Bruce corrected. Then he shrugged, “He stopped me because only one of us felt like dying that day.”

Tony wished Bruce was as easy to hug as Hulk.

“He think I tried to murder him and he’s not wrong,” Bruce continued. With a wry smile and a deadpan delivery he added, “We have issues.”

Tony cracked up. And took the chance to topple into Bruce. He ended up leaning against Bruce, their shoulders pressed together, a solid line of connection between them. For several minutes they just sat there until Tony couldn’t be quiet anymore. “How are you today? Because, as much as I like Hulk back, my science Bro being MIA has sort of been freaking me out.”

“Getting better,” Bruce said. “Even if Hulk loses-“

“We’re not losing the case,” Tony interjected forcefully.

“Even if we lose,” Bruce reiterated. “I’m glad Hulk’s doing it. I’m glad we’re standing up to her, them, and saying Hulk’s not just a weapon for them to use. That I’m not just a gun lock, a means to make him safe to handle.”

“You’re as mad at Natasha as at Witchy,” Tony realized, eyes going wide.

“I shouldn’t be,” Bruce sighed. “Wanda… You saw the Hulk after, fought him. You saw what she made him. I wasn’t kidding when I said that I could snap her neck without changing a shade for what she did. But Natasha... I know she only forced me to give Hulk control when I didn’t want to but…”

Tony’s eyes hardened. “Natasha told you loved you then she attacked you- Only you, not Hulk. Of course you’re furious.”

“I’m glad you’re helping Hulk confront them like this,” Bruce reiterated. “In a courtroom, not…”

“I’m glad Natasha’s setting herself up to go down with Maximoff,” Tony replied grimly.

Bruce found himself with no idea of how to respond and they fell back into silence.

“So… The serum didn’t create the Other Guy?” Tony said when the silence threatened to become oppressive.

Bruce shook his head, “Just made him harder to hide.”

“How’d you figure it out?” Tony asked. “When?”

“I don’t know how old really. I was five, I think, when I realized that imaginary friends are supposed to play with you, not smash your room while you’re sleeping,” Bruce said. “But… Well, back-talk wasn’t really something my father really appreciated. Arguing that my imaginary friend who I liked to blame for my misdeeds was not my friend and not imaginary… It wouldn’t have gone over well.

“I know you like Hulk and you'll probably have hate this part, Betty didn’t like it either once she figured it out,” Bruce pushed on quickly. “I locked him in the closet so he wouldn’t keep getting us in trouble. After I went to live with my aunt and uncle it wasn’t so bad, he quit growing but he was still there, all locked up.  I thought if I let him out maybe...  It wasn't logical but I thought everything that happened was his fault, for existing.”

“So Betty?” Tony asked.

“Found out while we were still in college.” Bruce shrugged, “Don’t sign up for experiments with mind altering substances if you’ve got a secret locked up in your brain. She liked him, liked me too. Even after I dropped out of the study he’d still manage to wiggle out to talk to her sometimes and it-“

“Wiggle our like..” Tony interrupted.

“Not like,” Bruce rolled his eyes. “Tony, I have Dissociative Identity Disorder not a Goa'uld symbiote or Lycanthropy… Although I guess I still think of it as Multiple Personalities. He didn’t _have_ a physical form then but when I pictured him he was this ball of rage, like Charlie Brown’s kite string.”

“Seriously?”

“I was a kid when I noticed him, maybe if I’d been a little older he would have been a Gordian Knot.”

“Green string?” Tony couldn’t help but ask.

“No," Bruce said flatly.  "I think green had more to do with the Gamma radiation than my psyche. 

“So Betty figured it out and he’d take over sometimes just to hangout with her and it was actually good. Betty and I got closer, we started dating. Around her he wasn’t such a destructive little terror. And being with her was easier somehow after they started spending time together. It was a little like having a bratty kid-brother whom my girlfriend thought was cute… He just happened to share my body.

"Then the accident happened and suddenly he was so big and uncontrollable. He took over and I turned into a monster. He hurt Betty.”  Bruce’s eyes flashed poison green and they were full of grief and guilt.

Tony wondered if Hulk had seen himself as a kid-brother or if he loved Betty every bit as much as Bruce did. He remembered calling the armor against Pepper in the midst of a PTSD nightmare and thought of how much worse he would have felt had he hurt her. “It was an accident,” he said.

“I don’t care,” Bruce replied sharply. “He hurt Betty. Suddenly he had all this power to do things, to act and he still didn’t have any _sense!_ I had to get away, get him somewhere he couldn’t hurt anyone… I spent the next half decade trying to shove him back in that old closet where he couldn’t do any harm but he didn’t fit anymore.

"After Harlem, I finally gave in and tried communicating with him instead of just tolerating that he existed when I wasn’t actively trying to make him go away.”

“Betty convinced you to talk to him,” Tony realized. “I bet she tried to get you to stay too.”

“She wasn’t encouraging me to go,” Bruce admitted. “But I couldn’t stay, not after Harlem.”

“It wasn’t your fault, you did what had to be done,” Tony argued.

“There wouldn’t have been an Abomination except for me,” Bruce said. “You make a mountain and someone’s going to try to climb it. Just by existing the Hulk invites people to challenge him and that’s an invitation for catastrophe to strike.”

“Might as well say it’s my fault that so many of my classmates hated me,” Tony said. “I mean I was years younger and obviously much smarter. So what? Your advice would have been to play dumb? Nah, I’d rather have their hate and Rhodey who knew who I was and liked me anyway… You didn’t play dumb either, Brucey-bear.”

“I needed scholarships… And I didn’t rub their noses in it.”

“Okay, guilty.” Tony grinned, “Particularly Justin Hammer and anyone who wanted to believe Dad bought my way into MIT. Anyone that dumb needs to be shown the error of their ways.”

Bruce tsked and shook his head.

“So Clint…" Bruce said.  "You weren’t in the courtroom while he was testifying but from the way he was having to remind himself that he has issues with people who go around violating the minds of others I’d say we have something to worry about.”

“As if I wasn’t worried already,” Tony sighed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If it sounds like Bruce is echoing Vision's 'equation' from CACW... Well, Bruce did have a hand in creating him. :-)


	19. Tony Testifies

Tony watched as the footage from his heads-up display was entered into evidence with only a little trepidation. It proved that Wanda had been with Ultron in Johannesburg to anyone who wasn’t blind and stupid, substantiating Clint’s testimony, but it also gave a first person POV on what it was like to be in a fight against a raging Hulk. And that was something Tony wasn’t sure that he wanted to share. ‘I know him. Even while I was fighting him, I knew that wasn’t my friend, or at least not the heart of him. But if that’s all you’ve got to judge him off of, it’s pretty scary stuff.’

A good part of his testimony was merely reiterating what Clint had already said: Wanda was at Johannesburg. She was working with Ultron. Thor had named her as his attacker…. Tony wished that Bruce hadn’t stepped out of range of the Quinjet’s cameras when he’d started worrying about the team, it would have been so much easier if they’d actually caught Wanda attacking him on video. ‘Hell, if he’d stayed sealed up on the jet maybe she wouldn’t have gotten to him in the first place.’

While he smoothly answered Jen’s questions about his confrontation with the Hulk in Johannesburg and how he’d known Hulk was compromised, Tony’s thoughts went back to the much less practiced response Dr. Kelso had elicited from him on the same subject.

_“Mr. Stark, I have to ask, why did you engage Hulk in Johannesburg?” Dr. Kelso said as Tony escorted her down to the lobby after one of her meetings with Hulk._

_“He was freaking out and smashing a city?” Tony answered. “Basically what I promised Bruce that I would never let happen when I talked him into sticking with the Avengers. What else was I supposed to do? What else could I do?”_

_Dr. Kelso hesitated, Tony could see the internal debate being waged in her expression. He sighed. “Go on, you might as well tell me how I screwed up. It’s not like it’s going to be news to me that everything I do is wrong.”_

_“That statement I unilaterally disagree with,” Dr. Kelso said forcefully. “I may be overstepping but if you feel that way, I would like to recommend several individuals you could talk with.”_

_“That said?” Tony asked wryly. “What did I screw up?”_

_Dr. Kelso scowled at him. “Weighing in all the factors, most especially the presence of bystanders, I don’t know that you could have made a better choice,” she said. Then reluctantly added, “However, if your only consideration had been calming Hulk down you might have done better not to give him something to fight. Seeing the two of you interacting here, I can say that YOU provide him with a sense of safety and security. You might have been able to convince him that there was no threat if you hadn’t engaged him physically and had focused on helping him to feel safe instead. But, at the same time I have to consider that, given the presence of bystanders including local law enforcement who might not have been content to remain bystanders had you not engaged Hulk yourself, it might have turned out worse. But,” she sighed, “Violence as a first response disturbs me.” She smiled wryly, “That might be my profession speaking.”_

_“And you’re being very nice not to say it that it might be my background as an arms manufacturer, the Merchant of Death, that makes it come so naturally to me,” Tony replied dryly._

_Dr. Kelso stopped Tony before he could get off the elevator, “Are you okay?” she asked. “Did something happen today?”_

_Tony stared at her in complete bewilderment. It was unheard of for his teammates, let alone a near-stranger to ask him that._

_Unwillingly his mind turned back to the earlier part of his day: As it was becoming increasingly clear that the Inquiry wasn’t going to end in a Tony Stark lynching party the protestors, robbed of their scapegoat, had begun to come out in force to make sure Tony knew that THEY blamed him for what had happened, regardless of what the board decided. There’d been more than a few pictures of kids, now dead, among the signs carried by the crowd outside the UN building and Tony couldn’t stop remembering what Steve had said:_ “Ultron thinks we're monsters and we're what's wrong with the world. This isn't just about beating him. It's about whether he's right… I'm not leaving this rock with one civilian on it.” _But, despite their best efforts and Steve’s refusal to accept anything less than perfection, there had been casualties, a lot of casualties both in the city and on the ground below._ “Ultron thinks we're monsters. This isn't just about beating him. It's about whether he's right.” _They hadn’t been able to save everyone. Between the protestors and his team’s condemnation Tony couldn’t get the words out of his head, they blended seamlessly with the nightmare vision._ “Why didn’t you do more?” _and Yinsen,_ “This is your legacy, Stark. Your life's work in the hands of those murderers.” _Every attempt to make it things right ending in disaster. Tony felt his father’s knowing, disapproving gaze on the back of his neck and sometimes…_

_“Stark men are made of iron.”_ Tony put on a neutral mask as Crispen stood up to question him. He hadn’t broken in the face of Dr. Kelso’s genuine and completely unexpected concern, he certain wasn’t going to break for this neophyte lawyer.

“Dr. Stark, you engaged Ultron immediately when the fight broke out at Klaue’s ship?”

“Yes.”

“So you weren’t present when the rest of the Avengers engaged Ultron’s secondary bodies and Klaue’s men.”

“Don’t forget your client and her brother,” Tony remarked helpfully.

“You didn’t witness Ms. Maximoff attack Dr. Banner or any of your other teammates, is that correct?”

“I heard Thor warn us that Maximoff had attacked him, and having been attacked by Ms. Maximoff myself in Sokovia it wasn’t hard to recognize what had happened to Bruce,” Tony said.

“You saw the Hulk in a berserker rage and assumed that it was because Ms. Maximoff had attacked him?”

“No, Ultron told me Hulk needed to be stopped… I wonder how he knew that? Oh yeah, because he ordered his flunky to make it happen.” Tony waved to Wanda.

“How did you locate Hulk after Ultron told you he needed to be stopped?” Crispen asked.

“I searched online for any reports,” Tony said.

“Couldn’t Ultron have learned about the Hulk’s attack in the same way?”

Tony snorted, “And next you’re going to try to tell us that Ms. Maximoff and her brother just happened to travel from Sokovia to South Africa and it was coincidence that they happened to wander into Klaue’s operation. More coincidence that they ended up in the lab he took over in South Korea… Come on: A woman with the power to toss you head first into your worst nightmares is involved in a battle and one of her opponents freaks out. It doesn’t take a genius to add two and two.”


	20. Intrusive Thoughts

“Tony,” Bruce called interrupting Tony halfway through his morning cup of coffee. “I think I’ve got something.”

“Dr. Banner, are those the same clothes I saw you in last night? And after all the times my sleeping habits have been critiqued. I am shocked, I tell you, shocked!” Tony declared dramatically.

Bruce’s cheeks colored. “Between the serum reducing my physical need for sleep and Hulk and I trading off so we both get some mental downtime-“

“Calling bullshit on that,” Tony interrupted grinning.

“Do you want to see it or not?” Bruce muttered.

“Definitely.” Tony said, setting aside his coffee. “Just consider this one of those coupons: Tony gets out of one lecture about pulling all-nighters.”

“When have I ever bothered you for less than _consecutive_ all-nighters?” Bruce shot back as he activated the 3D imaging system Tony had recovered from A.I.M.’s databanks. “This is a sped up recording of Clint’s brain-activity for the last -um- twenty-six hours now. Tell me if you see it.”

Tony turned slowly watching the lightning flashes of neural activity going off all around him. After several minutes he pointed out a particular branching event. “Timing isn’t regular but it happens over and over again, exactly the same way. Not natural?”

“Not in the slightest,” Bruce agreed. “It’s not proof of mental manipulation and nothing I can pin on Wanda Maximoff but something off is happening in Clint’s brain and it’s happening in an area that is associated with recall. I’m going to send these findings to Helen Cho, see if she can verify them or find someone who is more of an expert in brain activity to weigh in.”

“I sort of want to know what he’s remembering,” Tony said thoughtfully.

“How?” Bruce asked.

“I might have been working on a way to deal with PTSD without involving shrinks.”

“Tony-“ It might have sounded reproving if not for the overlying guilt.

“I’ll need to put on the finishing touches. Re-purpose a few things. Integrate it with the imaging tech so we know what memories to capture,” Tony continued, almost immediately becoming lost in his plans. “I’ll need to go down to the lab-” Slowly Tony turned toward the elevator. “I need to go down to my lab,” he repeated. _Bomb craters beneath - ‘Your legacy.’ Shadows above blocking the stars - ‘Why didn’t you do more?’_

“Tony?” Bruce’s voice was urgent, worried; it drew Tony away from the craters and the stars. Their eyes met and Bruce asked, “When was the last time you were in your lab?”

_‘When J.A.R.V.I.S. died.’_

“We have a few extras of those implants we put in Clint’s head don’t we?” Tony said in lieu of answering. “It wasn’t much of a procedure, you could put one in me without a lot of fuss, right? Wait, actually that might be a way to tie it back to Maximoff. Clint has something weird going on in his brain and maybe it explains away playing pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey with my heart but if everyone around Maximoff has the same something weirdness going on... Maybe we don’t just clear Clint but we get the real perpetrator. You and I both need one, obviously. From what Fussy Ross relaid, Vision would probably be up for getting tested-”

“Vision’s brain structure is very different from a human’s,” Bruce cautioned. “We might not be able to get a comparable signal. And we don’t really know what Maximoff’s control is like, she may be consciously capable of both immediate effects and long term ones. We can assume that she wanted to influence Clint’s behavior for an extended period, if we allow the possibility that she’s competent, she wouldn’t have wanted to be around when he tried to kill you. Similarly she wanted you to take the Scepter while you were acting under the influence of the fears she’d stirred up. But I wouldn’t be surprised if her goals in Johannesburg were all short-term.”

“And she avoided you after her little ‘new leaf’ thing upon realizing that Ultron was out to kill us all,” Tony said.

“I did threaten to break her neck,” Bruce said with a small shrug.

“You know, I’ve sat in a few of Dr. Kelso’s tenser sessions with Hulk, just in case he got triggered,” Tony said. “Far as I can tell he doesn’t remember exactly what Maximoff showed him that set him off.”

“Well, I suppose it’s good that Hulk’s neck isn’t wider than my shoulders,” Bruce said, his expression carefully blank.

Tony didn’t ask if Bruce remembered. “I get a feeling Steve and Natasha aren’t going to volunteer.  If they’re under Maximoff’s sway they’re deep enough in that they don’t _want_ to know. But Sam Wilson’s peeled off from the group, went back to his house in DC after making bail for his involvement in Clint’s attempt to kill me. He might be amiable, specially seeing how he’s still waiting on his day in court.”

“Which might mean that she didn’t feel the need to control him,” Bruce pointed out. “But we should definitely contact him. How about Helen Cho and the surviving members of her team?”

Tony shook his head, “Ultron used the scepter on them and they cleared out of the Compound along with most of the other researchers as soon as Steve refused to collar Maximoff.”

“And Maria Hill’s team wasn’t slow to take Wanda down; they probably aren’t influenced.  But if we find widespread use of her powers they should be checked anyway.” Bruce took off his glasses and cleaned them, “If we do see the signature in any of the other Avengers we should contact NATO, see if we can get leave to test List.”

“You think she was influencing List?” Tony asked.

“I think if she’s been messing with the people around her then she came to the Avengers with the habit already in place… And there aren’t many points of commonality between List and the Avengers. If he has mental tampering with the same signature that would go a long way establishing that this is Wanda’s work.”

“Or the Mind Stone's,” Tony said playing the Devil’s Advocate, “If you allow that the Mind Stone is still the same evil thing that spawned Ultron and our lovely little team un-building exercise back on the Helicarrier, evidence of Vision’s good character notwithstanding, then exposure to the Mind Stone is a commonality between the Avengers, including Wilson, and HYDRA.”

“Still…”

“Yeah,” Tony agreed. “So that’s our plan: You implant me. I’ll do you. We’ll reach out to Vision and Wilson to see if they’re game. See what shakes out.  Then go from there.”

“Yeah,” Bruce echoed weakly.

Tony glanced at the elevator again. _‘It would still be good if we knew WHAT Clint was remembering. That means finishing-’_ His vision swam with images of bomb craters and blocked stars. His shoulders slumped and he turned away from the elevator.

Behind him he heard Bruce say, “Hulk, Tony could use some company in the lab.”

Tony spun around, expression trapped between shock and fear.

“Sorry Tony,” Bruce said as green crawled up his neck and his features began to shift. “I’m just no good at this sort of thing.”

Tony couldn’t help himself from staring as his friend effortlessly broke the law of conservation of mass, as Hulk swelled out of Bruce. Summoned with no immediate threat, Tony noted that Hulk was distinctly smaller than when he emerged for a fight but a puzzled frown furrowed his brows. “BANNER SCIENCES.”

And Tony could keep himself from laughing, harsh and ugly, _‘Two friends in one and neither can deal with me. Fix yourself Mechanic, no one else can.’_

As forced himself to turn back to the elevator he tried to shut out his father’s disappointed voice, _‘Stark men are made of Iron, Tony. Stop sniveling.’_

_‘Not helping Dad.’_ His hand shook as he reached for the elevator button.

The Hulk crowded in with him. Confused and hovering. Tony had been getting used to Hulk reading him better than most, even better than his oldest friends. _‘Probably tricky when I don’t know what I’m hiding right now.’_ Tangles and snarls, something beyond fear. _‘Goddamn Wanda. I already had enough problems with intrusive thoughts before you showed up.’_

The elevator sank towards the lab. Tony felt his heart race and his lungs tighten. The doors slid open. Scorch marks and broken out glass panels. A coffin standing empty in the middle of the room. A high pitched electronic scream. A shield flying toward him.

_Yinsen stood in the massive crater that had been Novi Grad. “This is your legacy, Stark.” The stars above were blotted out by the invading Chitauri Fleet. “Why didn’t you do more?” Steve demanded as he died. Tony’s lab hung between them illuminated by J.A.R.V.I.S.’s shattered code. Ultron hunched over the corpse, tearing at it. He looked up at Tony, “You set me up to fail then wonder that I hate you, Dad. Didn’t you learn anything from your own father?”_

A steady, powerful beat vibrated through Tony’s bones. Awareness seeped in of being cocooned and safe. Hulk hunched over him, DUM-E’s claw clenched in his hand.

“Damn, I forgot you were down here,” Tony said focusing on DUM-E. “Sorry, sorry ‘bout that.”

He looked around again, his eyes quickly bypassing the cradle -coffin- Vision had smashed his way out of during his birth and the spot where J.A.R.V.I.S.’s shattered code had been displayed for the team. Tony patted DUM-E’s casing as he noted that the broken glass and other debris from Steve and the Maximoff’s attempt to stop him from creating Vision had been swept away and there’d been an effort made to scrub away the scorch marks from Thor’s lightning blast. “I see you’ve been clean up. Good job.”

He took a deep breath then stepped into the lab. “I’ve got work to do.”

Tony’s eyes landed on the Cradle and he swallowed harshly. “Green Bean, be a pal and get that out of here,” he said, waving vaguely in its direction as he quickly turned away.

“TINMAN OKAY?” Hulk asked worriedly, hesitating to leave.

“Be better with that coffin gone,” Tony replied.

Hulk nodded. He walked over and picked the Cradle up. With it balanced on his shoulder he headed for the larger cargo elevator. “BACK SOON.”

Tony nodded distractedly as he pulled up a file titled B.A.R.F.


	21. Hulk Takes the Stand

Ms. Walters stood up, “Your Honor, the prosecution calls Mr. Hulk.”

Natasha watched with a feel of unreality and reluctant amusement as the Hulk stood up and then after a moment’s consideration picked up the oversized chair that had been brought in for him and carried it to the witness stand with him. He traded it with the other chair then turned to the bailiff.

“Please raise your right hand,” the bailiff said, admirably unruffled. “Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?”

“HULK SWEARS.”

“Mr. Hulk, from your perspective, please describe the events of May 3rd, 2015.”

Natasha remembered Tony’s psychologist saying Hulk understood more than his use of language would indicate and assumed it was a conscious choice on the lawyers’ part not to dumb down her speech to make it easier for the Hulk to understand. A few days ago Natasha knew she would have assumed the tactic would blow up in Walters’ face… Now she wasn’t so sure, Natasha had never liked feeling unsure.

“BIRDIE, RED SNEAK-”

“Mr. Hulk, for the benefit of the court could you please refrain from using nicknames?” Walters interrupted.

Hulk made a disgruntled face. After a slight hesitation he rephrased. “BARTON, ROMANOFF SNEAK IN. GET READY FOR FIGHT. BARTON SAY BAD ROBOT- ULTRON, TWINS WITH… BLACK MARKET MAN. TONY, THOR, ROGERS CONFRONT. BANNER STAY ON PLANE, WAIT.”

“Just to clarify,” Walters broke in. “Even though Dr. Banner was still in control you were aware of what was happening?”

_‘More tactics,’_ Natasha thought. _‘Interrupting the Hulk, being annoying. Showing the jury she trusts him not to lash out. It’s… Well, Hulk looks more comfortable in a suit than Steve does, even if he did sneak off his shoes under the table yesterday.’_

“HULK SEE. HULK COME WHEN CALLED, WHEN DANGER. HULK MUST SEE.”

“So Dr. Banner remained with the Quinjet. What happened next?”

“FIGHT,” Hulk shrugged. “ALWAYS A FIGHT. NO CALL FOR HULK. THEN WITCH - HER,” he pointed at Wanda. “SHE TOUCH BANNER. EVERYTHING RED. HULK HAVE TO FIND- _FIND HER!_ HAVE TO SAVE _HER_! FIGHTING. GET TO _HER_ …” Hulk sighed deeply. He continued in the smallest voice Natasha had ever heard from him, “Then Hulk wake up. People afraid. People hurt. Hulk no mean to. Not see people- just red.”

“Hulk, who is ‘her’?” Walters asked gently.

“Hulk not know. Have to save her.”

Natasha looked at Wanda. _‘The Red Room always picked orphans, the pretty ones. She could have been one of us.’_ She remembered the girls she’d grown up with, breaking one by one, falling away until only she was left. Or at least what little was left of her. A doll, insides scraped out and left hollow, ready to be filled with the Red Room’s needs. _‘I guess Wanda’s vision stirred up a bit of survivor’s guilt,’_ Natasha sighed to herself. _‘Not as if I’ve no reason for it, survival in the Red Room comes at a cost._

_‘It’s good, what I have with the Avengers. We’re safe because we keep the world safe, symbiosis.’_ Her eyes strayed to Hulk, who was somehow managing to look both remorseful and traumatized. _‘I thought I could make Bruce part of that but Tony’s got too much of a hold over him. The team needs heavy hitters we can depend on. Wanda gets the symbiosis and once this all blows over I’ll give her a few tips for dealing with Vision. Between the two of them the team will be stronger than ever; I might never be one of the Avengers’ powerhouses but they need someone who knows how to make things work.’_

She leaned forward and slipped Crispen a note. He glanced at it then requested a recess before cross-examination. Natasha and Steve joined Wanda and Crispen in a small conference room adjoining the courtroom. “You need to get Hulk to lose control,” Natasha said.

Crispen turned chalk-white.

“Nat are you sure?” Steve asked worriedly.

Natasha stepped closer to Steve, emphasizing the height difference between them. “Steve, we know Wanda’s powers don’t work like Tony says they do.”

Steve nodded. He turned to Wanda and Crispen. “What Wanda does, it’s nothing like what Loki or HYDRA does. She just… Forces you to remember. Once you’ve got more training Wanda, I’m sure you’ll even be able to use that power beneficially- To help people regain lost memories; people with Alzheimer's or even to reverse the sort of brainwashing HYDRA employes.”

“I just want to help,” Wanda told Crispen. “Even with HYDRA and Ultron I really believed that they were working towards a better world. But they lied to me.”

_‘Good girl,’_ Natasha thought.

“After getting to know Bruce, being teammates with him, we all want to shield him,” Natasha said. “It’s only natural to take care of your own. But, Steve, you saw the damage in Johannesburg, the way he abandoned us before Novi Grad was even decided. Hulk is just too volatile. We tried but Fury and Coulson were always afraid that Hulk couldn’t be steered into being a force for good, I think Johannesburg proves that they were right to worry. And now Tony’s tearing the Avengers apart because he’s got an unnatural attraction to things that go boom. The Earth needs the Avengers, needs us whole and strong. Unmonitored Hulk is a threat to civilians populations, it’s better for everyone if we prove that here.”

She smiled reassuringly at Crispen the gestured to Steve, Wanda and herself, “Between the three of us we can handle Hulk.”

Wanda touched the suppression collar around her neck and shuttered. “With this on I can’t even protect myself.” A quaver entered her voice, “Do you think Stark planned this all to kill me?”

“Wanda, I know you’re scared and that it’s hard for you to be rational about Tony after everything you’ve been through,” Steve said and Natasha winced at his patronizing tone. “Tony should have made sure his weapons couldn’t be used to hurt good people like your parents.”

_‘Were her parents good people?’_ Natasha found herself wondering. _‘We don’t actually know anything about them. Or about whoever fired the missile. If the senior Maximoffs weren’t collateral damage- Well, good and bad are generally a matter of perspective but if they weren’t collateral then they WERE dangerous. But there’s no point in trying to explain that to Wanda, whatever else they might have been they were her parents.’_

Steve frowned in puzzlement. “Honestly, I don’t know why Tony’s NOT trying to make reparations to you, he’s usually big on making up for the damage his carelessness caused. But,” he said sternly. “This idea you’ve got, that Tony has some sort of vendetta against you, Wanda it’s nonsense.”

“Stark hates me!” Wanda cried tearfully.

“It’s not about you,” Natasha explained kindly. “Tony’s ego just won’t let him acknowledge that Ultron was his fault. All this fuss about Johannesburg, it’s not even about Hulk, what he did or why, it’s just phase one of making you the scapegoat for Ultron. And we’re not going to let that happen.”

“The inquiry into the Ultron incident is still ongoing but it’s pretty clear that they’re going to find that there was no way Tony Stark could have predicted his actions would trigger the creation of something like Ultron,” Crispen pointed out. “There were too many factors outside of his control and all the experts in the field agreed that his safeguards should have been sufficient.”

“Tony might have been able to fool or buy off that committee,” Steve said. “But the world knows better. Have you seen the protests?”

“Tony needs to feel like the public loves him,” Natasha continued sadly. “That’s what motivates him to BE Iron Man. Proving it in a courtroom isn’t going to be enough for him if the court of public opinion is still against him.”

She drew closer to Crispen, turning the full force of her training on the young lawyer, “We need you,” she breathed. “We’re only asking that you do your duty as an officer of the court. Walters has been playing up her lack of fear of the Hulk but did you notice the way she soft-peddled questioning him about exactly what Wanda supposedly made the the Hulk see that could justify Johannesburg? Not that anything could justify an attack on people who were just innocently going about their day. If he were anyone else, you wouldn’t let that stand. You’d push for real answers.”

“It’s not _Wanda’s_ fault if being questioned about some bad memories makes the Hulk go berserk,” Steve said sternly. “If Banner has that little control then someone needs to get control over him.”

“Alan?” Natasha said lowering her eyelashes and leaning into Crispen. “It’s better that we show how dangerous the Hulk can be, here, with three Avengers standing by to take control of the situation. We can’t do this without you. Just push him about what he saw, like you would any other witness. I swear: Your safety will be my first concern.”


	22. Bullying a Dragon and Finding...

“Dr. Banner, according to your story, it was Wanda’s powers that made you go berserk and destroy a large section of Johannesburg, injuring dozens and killing three people, is that correct?” Crispen asked. 

“NOT BANNER. HULK.”

“Could you please not avoid the question Dr. Banner.”

Hulk rolled his eyes, “STUPID,” he muttered. “WITCH CONFUSE HULK.”

“How?” Crispen asked. “None of your teammates reacted violently to her powers.”

“BIRDIE,” Hulk pointed out. Then corrected himself, “BARTON HURT TONY.”

“Well, that’s his story anyway. I mean he doesn’t want to go to jail, he can’t just say that he decided the world was better off without Tony Stark in it, now can he?”

Hulk responded with a low rumbling grow. 

“Objection,” Jen said. “This is hardly the place for the Defense Councilor to be airing his private opinions of Tony Stark.”

“Sustained,” Judge Stone said before Jen had finished speaking. “Mr. Crispen, stick to relevant questions and don’t badger the witness.” 

Tony leaned over and whispered to Rhodey, “Clearly he’s never seen Star Wars.”

“I don’t like it,” Rhodey whispered back. “You don’t push buttons like that unless you’re trying to.”

“Trust the Big Guy,” Tony replied. “He’s practiced for this. Crispen’s got nothing on Dr. Kelso when it comes to digging for answers. The bigger asshole he is the more it proves Hulk isn’t some monster.”

“Kelso didn’t imply it was normal for people to want to murder you,” Rhodey replied.

“And Jen shut him down,” Tony said, turning his attention back to the cross-exam. 

“What could my client have shown you that would possibly justify the damage you did to Johannesburg?” Crispen demanded.

“HULK NOT REMEMBER. SAW WITCH POWERS. NEED TO SAVE HER.”

“Very convenient. You say my client did… something and… somehow it forced YOU to trash a city, killing and injuring dozens… But you don’t remember what she did. Is that right?”

The whole courtroom watched in disbelief as the Hulk seemed to fold into himself becoming Bruce Banner. Crispen glanced back at Natasha for direction but she looked as gob-smacked as anyone else.

Bruce straightened the jacket hanging off his relatively narrow shoulders. “You want to know what Wanda Maximoff made me relive?” he asked quietly, his voice carrying easily in the dead silence brought on by his transformation. “I was suddenly hiding in under a bed in a run down hotel room. I could hear my father shouting, see a sliver of the room from beneath the dust shirt. I knew what was going to happen and a part of me had always wanted to run out and protect her. But when it happened, when it really happened, I was seven and I already knew better. I knew if I went out there,” Bruce took a deep breath. “I knew my mom would have to protect me, in addition to herself. Only a few weeks before that night my mom had found the courage to take me and run away… But he found us. From under the bed I saw him grab her. I saw him hit her. I saw her leave with him. Three days later I identified their bodies. He hung himself after beating my mom to death.”

Wanda gasped.

Bruce turned to address her directly. “Did you think you were the only one to be traumatically orphaned, Wanda? Have you ever heard of a cycle of violence? After Johannesburg there are more people who’ve lost family or been buried in rubble. And no matter what is determined here, Hulk is the face they’ll associate with that trauma… Just like how you fixated on the name ‘Stark’... But just like you, we both know, that they’ll hate the wrong person. 

“Because, Wanda, you put me back under that bed but this time the part of me that needed to rush out and save my mother… It wasn't small or helpless anymore. He rushed out to find her and he couldn’t let anyone get in his way. Eventually Hulk managed to shake off your vision and see what was really there. But it was too late, the damage had already been done.”

* * *

“Cus, you and your other both know better than to surprise your lawyer,” Jen scolded when when Bruce joined her and Tony in a in a conference room after Bruce had changed into clothes that didn’t threaten to fall off him. 

Bruce shrugged, “I hadn’t decided if I was going to talk. I knew I should but this was Hulk’s idea and after the investigation back then I swore I was never going to talk about that night again.”

“Still, you could have let me know it was a possibility,” Jen said.

“I know how upset you get when anyone bothers me about that,” Bruce replied.

Tony held up both hands. “Wait! Back up there. ‘Cus’?” he asked.

“Our mothers were sisters,” Jen explained.

Bruce nodded, “I ended up placed with them after everything. Jen’s a couple years younger but she was always my defender.”

“Why am I just learning this now?” Tony demanded.

“Never came up,” Bruce said.

“If you hadn’t been such a good friend to Bruce, I probably have let you know when I handed in my resignation,” Jen said with a small shrug. “But as it was, there was never a conflict of interests.”

“You probably would have punched him and had to let him know while defending yourself,” Bruce said quietly. “...Which is why I don’t tell you things.”

“Geez Bruce, the last time I punched anyone in your defense I was thirteen!” Jen protested. “Stop making it sound like I do things like that all the time!”

Tony snickered at their quarrelling. Then he asked, “So what made you decide to- make an appearance?”

“Oddly enough, Wanda’s lawyer refusing to acknowledge Hulk as real,” Bruce said. “Maybe the Other Guy and I should be one person but there’s not one of us who’s real and and the other’s just a construct. Believe it or not, I used to be the one who did most of the protecting, usually by keeping us out of trouble but since he got big I haven’t been pulling my weight. So…”

“Well, I’m glad you did,” Jen said. “Any attempt to defend Maximoff based on the loss of her parents has been shot in the foot. Talking about it will only be a reminder of her willingness to cause the same sort of suffering in others.”

“Assuming you didn’t just break Team!Wanda,” Tony remarked. “I honestly think that what you said was news to Witchy. Natashalie couldn’t get her jaw off the floor and Steve and the lawyer looked like they were going to be sick."

"I'm just disappointed at how easy they apparently think it is to provoke the Hulk into a blind rage," Bruce sighed. "It almost makes this make sense if they believe I'm that unstable."

"So what?" Tony replied. "People want to give me awards for insensitivity but them? It’s like the people outside of their special little circle as real aren’t even real to them.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout out to JKBlue who guessed the direction this was going in.


End file.
